Blood of Olympus Re-Run
by ArtemisApollo97
Summary: The last instalment of the rewrite! One last stretch until Gaia wakes, one last hurrah before the end of the world. So don't steal your sister's Oreos, Percy, or you may not get to see it! Running parallel to this, getting the Athena Parthenos to Camp Half-Blood before Octavian blows it up. Maybe Reyna should have let Lou kill him. T for swearing.
1. Chapter 1

**And we're back! Last rewrite, guys, don't forget to review! ^_^**

* * *

"So, remind me again why Jason is old now?"

"It's just a disguise, Lou."

"But Blondie 'n' Piper look like themselves, just… servants." Her brow furrowed and she went back to watching their friends through Leo's binoculars. Jason had sat down on a rock, tired in his old age. The girls carried amphoras, purely to conceal weapons. Annabeth kept shrugging her shoulders to stop her dress slipping, but Piper rocked the sleeveless white gown. Louisa snickered- poor Old-Man Jason. He was looking at Piper like she was otherworldly and he was undeserving. "I am _not_ gonna let him live this down." She grinned.

"Ditto." Leo smirked beside her. "Anyway, my turn. Go and help your brother."

"He's _not_ my brother."

"Ugh, I _know_." Leo rolled his eyes. "Unfortunately, him stealing your Oreos does _not_ change blood ties."

"We'll see about that." She smacked the binoculars into his hand and stomped off to find her traitorous brother. Percy stood at the starboard railing, watching the water of Afales Bay, his back to the island. Louisa had already decided to paint the island later- despite what awaited Old-Man Jason and his 'serving girls', the island was beautiful. A spine of forested hills twisted down its centre. Chalky white slopes plunged into the sea. Inlets formed rocky beaches and harbours with red-roofed houses and white stucco churches nestled against the shoreline. The hills were smothered with poppies, crocuses and wild cherry trees, all of which Louisa was avoiding, but even the scent of them coming in on the sea breeze was making her nose itch. The pollen, combined with hundred-and-five degree, Roman-bathhouse-steamy air was going to get her, sooner or later.

She stopped at her brother's side, elbowing him. "I'm not talkin' to you."

"I will buy you more Oreos," he smiled, "_and_ I've already apologised. What more do you want?" She cut him a sidelong glare.

"Grovel."

"I'll save that for Plan B." Percy said, biting back laughter. This didn't appease her in the slightest. She crossed her arms and stared out to sea. "How's it going back there?"

"I've bet five bucks with Leo that Old-Man Jason breaks his hip before the top of the hill."

"Aw, don't." Percy snickered. "You're horrible."

"Yep." She smirked proudly. "You feelin' any better?" Percy sighed.

"A little." He rubbed at his neck. She squeezed his arm, but Percy still felt guilty. Vivid flashbacks had backed him into a corner last night. He had felt like he had fallen into the bog again, except rather than inhaling mud, it had been poison. The only solidity he had recognised was his sister, sat next to him all night and holding his hand, her sword ready. She hadn't needed it, but the sight of it seemed to reassure him. At least one of them was ready for a fight, even if he was the only one that could see the attackers.

Her fingers tickled his arm, tracing a pattern that he quickly realised was something rather rude. He smacked her hand, trying to give her a scolding frown. His humour betrayed him and she smiled sweetly.

_BOOM!_

The twins held their swords in a second. The hillside rumbled. They rushed back to port, Leo was scanning the hills frantically, Frank hovering nervously at his side. Hazel was chewing her thumbnail- her magic was hiding their friends, this was on her shoulders.

"No, it's OK!" Leo called a few seconds later. "I see them!"

"What was it?" Percy demanded.

"I'm not sure." Leo admitted, passing the binoculars to Hazel. "But I think it came from up there." He pointed to the ruins at the top of the hill. Festus creaked behind him. Leo listened to him for a moment, fiddling with wires from his tool belt. "He says there's some sort of party going on at the top. But… he can't sense anyone alive?"

"Zombie apocalypse," Louisa dubbed, "called it."

"They're moving again." Hazel informed, lowering the binoculars. "I think I went a bit far with Jason's disguise."

"Are you kiddin'?" Louisa cackled. "Old-Man Jason is, like, my fourth favourite thing _ever_."

"Fourth?" Frank asked. "Dare I ask the first three?"

"Me." Leo claimed, patting his hand on his chest. "I'm clearly number one. Or, you know, maybe two." He added, smiling sheepishly as Percy glowered at him.

"No." Louisa said, breaking the news as gently as she could. Leo gaped at her, seeing Percy smirk in the corner of his eye.

"What then?" He asked, pouting. Louisa smiled knowingly, eyes glittering with mischief. Leo blew a raspberry at her. "Fine then, keep your secrets."

Another BOOM! This time they could hear a crowd cheering, faintly. Hazel hurriedly peered through the binoculars again.

"I can't see them." She said. "I think they've reached the top."

"No Jason with a broken hip?" Leo asked. Louisa swore.

"Bro, I need five dollars."

"Why can't you bet your own money?"

"Ain't got none, duh." She held her hand out. Percy pocketed Riptide and sighed. She pursed her lips. "Some big brother you are." She muttered.

"If I give you the money, I'm not getting any Oreos for you."

"Oh no." Louisa's eyes widened and she dropped her hand to her chest. "Dilemma." She looked to Leo.

"If you're getting Oreos, I want some too." He shrugged. "Five dollars' worth."

"Deal." Louisa grinned and they shook on it. "Bro, we'll take those Oreos."

"And we want it in writing." Leo produced a pen and a pad of paper. "A simple I.O.U will do." He grinned cheekily. Percy was in half a mind to use his own pen, and not for the I.O.U, but Louisa pulled on his arm. He took the pen and paper, lazily scribbling the note to both of them. He tore the sheet off and thrust it at Leo. "Muchas gracias, ese." Leo folded the paper neatly and slid it into his tool belt. Louisa swiped the pen and the notebook, proceeding to scribble away with random doodles. Percy looked to Frank, eyebrows raised. Frank shrugged, amused. Percy still couldn't get over how much Frank had changed- he was three inches taller than before, had filled out, his face was no longer baby-ish, but with a rugged jawline. Hazel had told him the story and Percy felt nothing but pride every time he looked at Frank. Sorry, _Praetor Zhang_.

"Look!" Louisa grinned, turning the notebook round for them all to see. "It's Old-Man Jason!"

"Is he eating prunes?"

"Yes!"

"And… is that a brick dressed as an old lady?"

"Yes!"

"Why is that brick human-sized?"

"Maybe Jason's brick-sized, who knows?" Louisa shrugged. Hazel shot Percy a quizzical look.

"It's very nice, Lou." Percy said, patting her head. "I'm sure Jason will love it." She beamed at him, signing her name at the bottom of her drawing.

* * *

Leo was watching when things went wrong. Hazel and Frank were sparring on the deck. Percy and Louisa were watching the sea, supposedly on guard duty, but Leo knew they were drawing caricatures of everyone they knew. With the binoculars, Leo searched the hilltop again. There had been no more '_BOOM!'_s, no more cheering. Jason and the girls were still yet to return and his worry was gnawing its way through his chest.

His skin tingled. Lightning blasted the hilltop, sapping the colour from their surroundings. White dots danced in Leo's eyes and he dropped the binoculars into the water.

"Trouble!" He called, rubbing at his eyes. He heard the others arrive.

"Leo, you OK?"

"I got a close-up of lightning, is all." He squinted in the general direction of Louisa's voice. There was a splash and cold water soaked over his eyes and bridge of his nose. Gradually, his sight came back to him. He smiled at her and the water fell away. Louisa pressed her thumb to his forehead, her fingers tapping on the side of his head, just above his ear.

"Eh, ya'll be fine." She smiled. "What happened?"

"Not sure." Ghost zombies tumbled down the hill, having been thrown by the initial lightning blast.

"Get the ship ready to leave." Percy ordered. Leo nodded, turning towards the controls when something caught his eye. He pointed upwards. Flashes of light flitted. "What is it?" Percy asked, frowning at Leo.

"Morse Code." Leo said hastily. His eyes widened. "Jason's been hurt. Frank, we need an airlift." He rummaged in his belt, retrieving a bit of polished bronze. "Hazel, there's a stretcher in the medical bay, by the cupboards." Hazel nodded and ran from the room. Leo rubbed at the bronze with his sleeve, aiming the shiny surface up at the hill. _Frank on way_, he sent.

Within ten minutes, Frank had flown to the top of the hill with a stretcher and flown back, as a dragon, with Piper and Annabeth on his back and Jason lying in a stretcher, hanging from his claws. He and Piper carried Jason below deck, laying the stretcher on one of the medical beds. He was woozy from blood loss, Piper's charmspeak keeping him awake.

"What happened?" Louisa demanded. Annabeth stammered through the story- the suitors had figured them out, Michael Varus had stabbed Jason from behind. The wound ran right through his body, from his back to just below his ribs. Blood soaked his clothes, his skin, seeping through the stretcher and onto the bed below. Annabeth's hands trembled as she tipped nectar into his mouth. The wound was smoking. Louisa swore. "Imperial gold?" She asked. Piper nodded, tears sliding down her face. Jason smiled drunkenly at her.

"Stay awake, Sparky, focus on me." She encouraged, smoothing his hair back from his forehead.

Louisa held her hands out. The tap rattled, gushing water of its own accord.

"Frank, sit him up for me." She ordered. She budged Annabeth out of the way with her hip. Frank sat Jason up as carefully as he could, wincing apologetically at both him and Piper. Jason groaned, turning grey-green in complexion. Louisa pressed her hands to the wound, either side and he swayed. Faint green light spilled from her fingers, her eyes darkened.

"Give her some space." Percy advised, holding his hand out to Annabeth. She was trembling, pale. She latched onto his hand, her nails digging into his knuckles. Percy led her, Leo and Hazel out. Piper wasn't going to move. Frank was still holding Jason. "He'll be OK," he found himself saying, "he'll be OK."

Why did he feel like such a guilty liar?


	2. Chapter 2

**To RandomFanAuthor- My brother and I are like that too! Also involved with random smacks and over-exaggerated karate kicks! :D And As for Reyna POV, you're weeeelllccccooommmeee!**

**To all- as always, I've changed the chapters as much as I can, but it was a bit difficult with Reyna's and Nico's! Sorry in advance! **

* * *

Reyna hadn't planned to dive-bomb a volcano the first time she went to Italy. Her first view of southern Italy was from five thousand feet in the air. To the west, the crescent of the Gulf of Naples, the lights of sleeping cities glittering in the predawn gloom. A thousand feet below her, a caldera yawned half a mile wide, billowing white steam.

"Nico!" She yelled.

"Pan's Pipes!" Coach cursed. Nico screamed and flailed, almost slipping from Reyna's grip. She held on as tightly as she could, grabbing the satyr by the collar of his shirt. They hurtled towards the volcano, the Athena Parthenos trailing behind them like a very ineffective parachute.

"That's Vesuvius!" Reyna shouted over the wind. "Nico, get us out of here!" His eyes were wild and unfocused. His dark feathery hair whipped around his face like a raven shot from the sky.

"I… I can't!" He yelled, gasping.

"Goats can't fly, kid!" Coach bleated.

"Nico, try again!" Reyna insisted. She gripped his hand. The symbol of her mother, Bellona, grew painfully hot on her forearm. Colour flooded Nico's face and he inhaled sharply. Just before they hit the volcano's steam, they slipped into shadows. The air turned frigid. The screaming of wind was replaced by a cacophony of voices chattering in countless languages. Her insides felt like a giant piragua, her favourite treat from her childhood in Viejo San Juan- cold syrup over crushed ice. Why that memory came to her now, she had no idea.

Her feet landed on solid ground. The eastern sky had begun to lighten. Doric columns lined an atrium the size of a baseball pitch. A bronze faun stood in the middle of a sunken fountain decorated with mosaic tiles. Crepe myrtles and rosebushes bloomed in a nearby garden. Reyna smiled sadly- those would for sure make Louisa sneeze.

Palm trees and pines reached for the sky. Cobblestone paths led from the courtyard in several directions. Reyna turned. The statue stood in the courtyard, taking up much of the space. The bronze faun of the fountain had his arms raised, seemingly cowering in fear at this new arrival. "We're in Pompeii." She announced.

"Oh, that's not good." Nico said and immediately collapsed. Coach scrambled, catching him before he hit the ground. He propped him up against Athena's feet and loosed the harness tying Nico to the statue. Reyna felt her knees give too. She anticipated backlash every time she shared her strength, but not like this. Raw anguish washed through her, sweeping from Nico to her. Her head swam from the force of it; it took some serious effort to keep her eyes open.

Coach rummaged through his supplies as she fought to steady her breathing. Around Nico, the stones cracked. Dark seams radiated outwards, seeping through cracks like ink. She gave silent thanks it wasn't like yesterday. An entire field had withered, skeletons clawed their way up from the earth. She shuffled over to him, offering a canteen.

"Drink this." She encouraged. It was unicorn draught- a mix of powdered horn and sanctified water from the Little Tiber. It seemed to help Nico more than nectar. Nico managed to gulp it down, chasing some of the paleness from his cheeks.

"What… was that… surge of energy?" He asked between breaths. Reyna looked down at her Roman markings.

"It's a gift from my mother. I don't like to talk about it, but I can share my strength with others." Coach looked up from his backpack.

"Really? Hook me up, Roman girl! I want super-muscles!"

"It doesn't work like that, Coach. I can only do it in life or death situations. It works better in large groups. When… when I command troops, I can share whatever attributes I have. Strength, courage, endurance, multiplied by the size of my forces."

"Useful for a Roman praetor." Nico noted. Reyna kept quiet. She had kept this power to herself, worried demigods under her command would think she controlled them or used her ability to gain power over the ranks. She could only share qualities she already possessed- she was of no aid to anyone not worthy of being a hero.

"Too bad." Coach grunted. "Super-muscles would be awesome." He returned to sorting through his pack. Nico swigged from the unicorn draught again.

"You stumbled just now." He told her. "When… when you use your power, do you… get some sort of… _feedback_, from me?"

"It's not mind-reading." Reyna assured. "Not even an empathy link. Just a… temporary wave of exhaustion. Primal emotions." She hesitated. "I felt your pain; I take on some of your burden." She glanced at him. He looked away, expression guarded. Reyna did not understand Nico di Angelo and marvelled at how different he seemed when Louisa was around, how much more open and… not necessarily relaxed, but less offensive with Louisa twisting his ear, sometimes literally.

Reyna looked at the fountain. She had picked up on more pain from Nico in that brief connection than she had done from the legion when they fought Polybotes. It had drained her worse than the last time she used it. With Scipio. Her brave winged friend, so loyal, so trusting, as his muzzle lay in her lap, as she raised her dagger to end his suffering…

She could not dwell on it. "You should rest." She told Nico. "After two jumps, even with a little help… you're lucky to be alive, but don't tell Lou I said that." She nudged him gently. Nico smiled weakly, sipping the unicorn draught. "We'll need you to be ready again by nightfall." He nodded.

"Pompeii is the last place I would want to land. This place is full of lemures."

"Lemurs?" Coach asked excitedly.

"Not the cute, fuzzy ones." Nico sighed exasperatedly. "Lemures. Unfriendly ghosts. All Roman cities have them, but Pompeii…"

"Vesuvius erupted in seventy-nine C.E." Reyna said gravely. "Wiped out the whole city, covered the town in ash."

"A tragedy like that creates a _lot_ of angry spirits. I've sent out a message for them to stay away. It won't do much good when I'm asleep though."

"Don't worry, kid," Coach grinned, "I've got my baseball bat. And I'm going to line the perimeter with alarms and snares." He nodded at a contraption next to him, a tennis racket-knife combination.

"OK." Nico nodded, too tired to question the satyr's insanity. "Just… nothing drastic. We don't want another Albania."

"No." Reyna agreed. Two days ago, their first shadow travel experience had landed them in Albania. It was possibly the most humiliating episode in Reyna's long career and they had all agreed that what happened in Albania, would _stay_ in Albania.

Nico shed his jacket, wadding it into a make-shift pillow before he flopped to one side and began to snore. Reyna marvelled at how quickly he changed, how much younger he looked. She had to resist the urge to drape her cloak over him like a blanket, but her chest ached as she thought of his pain, his past, of his journey.

"Hey." Coach said, waving to get her attention. "You should get some sleep too." Reyna nodded in agreement. The feedback from Nico had drained her, filling her limbs with concrete.

"I'll put Aurum and Argentum on guard duty with you." She whistled sharply. The automaton greyhounds raced from the ruins from two different directions. Reyna had no idea where they came from when she summoned them or where they went when she dismissed them, but the sight of them lifted her spirits somewhat. She addressed them each by name, patting their heads. "Guard us while we sleep," she instructed, "obey Gleeson Hedge." The dogs circled the courtyard. They gave the statue a wide berth; it radiated hostility to anything Roman. Reyna was certain it didn't appreciate being relocated to the middle of an ancient Roman city, but there wasn't anything she could do about it now. She lay down and pulled her purple cloak over herself. Her fingers curled around the pouch on her belt.

Annabeth had given her the silver coin. _The Mark of Athena is yours now_, she had said,_ may this bring you luck._

Reyna slipped into sleep, straight into a nightmare. She had trained her mind to begin all her dreams in her favourite place- the Garden of Bacchus. With dreams, with nightmares, she could contain the visions to simple reflections in the garden's fountain. This helped her to sleep peacefully and not wake up the following morning in a cold sweat.

Tonight's dream began well enough. She could see New Rome below her. Half a mile to the west, the fortifications of Camp Jupiter. The Little Tiber past that, tracing the edge of the Berkeley Hills. She held a cup of hot chocolate, her favourite drink. She sipped it, warmth tingling in her stomach. It tasted _exactly_ like Louisa made it. Probably the only thing she could make in the kitchen without destroying it. Her hot chocolate always came out just that little bit sweeter, that little bit more chocolatey than Reyna could make it. She suspected it had something to do with her water abilities, but she never bothered to ask.

Suddenly, the horizon darkened. At first she thought it was a storm, perhaps brought on by her thoughts of Louisa. The girl was famous for her storms, intentional or not. Then she realised a tidal wave of dark loam was rolling across the hills, turning the skin of the earth inside out. Nothing was left in its wake.

The earthen tide reached the edge of the valley. Terminus ran a magical barrier around the camp, but it only slowed the destruction for a moment. Reyna flinched as purple light flared skywards, the barrier shattered like glass, and the tide crashed through. It shredded trees. Destroyed roads. Wiped the Little Tiber into nothingness.

_It's a vision_, Reyna thought,_ I can control this. _She tried to alter the dream, tried to force it into the fountain's reflection. The nightmare ignored her. The earth absorbed the Field of Mars. Every trace of forts and trenches for the war games vanished in the blink of an eye. The city's aqueduct crumbled. Camp Jupiter fell. The screams of demigods rang in her ears; watchtowers dissolved into rubble. Walls and barracks disintegrated. The screams stopped. The earth moved on. It tore through the shrines and monuments on Temple Hill. The coliseum and hippodrome swept away like leaves in a river. The tide smashed over the Pomerian line, straight into the city. Families ran through the forum. Children screamed in terror.

The Senate House imploded. Villas and gardens vanished like crops under a tiller. The tide roiled, rushing towards the Garden of Bacchus. Towards Reyna. _You left them helpless_, a woman's voice leaked from the black terrain_, your camp will be destroyed_. _Your quest is a fool's errand. My hunter comes for you_.

Reyna wrenched herself away from the garden railing. Her hot chocolate fell from numb fingers. She rushed to the fountain, gripped the rim of the basin. She willed the nightmare to become a harmless reflection.

_THUNK._

The basin fell in two parts. An arrow the size of a rake protruded from the split. She stared in shock at the raven-feather fletching. The shaft was painted red, yellow and black, like a coral snake. The Stygian iron point entrenched in her gut. She craned her head up, vision swimming with pain. On the outskirts of the garden, a dark figure advanced. The silhouette of a man whose eyes shone like tiny headlamps. They light seared Reyna's eyes. She heard the scrape of iron on leather as he drew another arrow from his quiver.

Then it all vanished. The garden, the hunter, the arrow in her stomach. She found herself in a deserted vineyard. Acres of dead grapevines hung in rows on wooden lattices. At the furthest point of the fields stood a cedar-shingled farmhouse with a wraparound porch. The land dropped into the sea behind it.

She knew this place. The Goldsmith Winery on the north shore of Long Island. Her scouts had secured it as a forward base for the legion's assault on Camp Half-Blood. She had ordered the bulk of the legion to remain in Manhattan until she instructed them otherwise, but Octavian had had his way. The entire legion was camped in the northern-most field. With usual military precision, they had dug ten foot deep trenches and spiked earthen walls around the perimeter. A watchtower loomed on each corner, armed with ballistae. Inside, tents were arranged in tidy rows of red and white. The standards of all five cohorts curled in the wind.

She should have been happy to see the legion, two-hundred demigods strong. But they had no business being so close to Camp Half-Blood. Reyna clenched her fists, envisioning herself punching Octavian repeatedly for his disobedience. Her vision zoomed to the porch of the farmhouse. Octavian sat in a gilded chair, a suspiciously throne-like chair. Along with senatorial purple-lined toga, his centurion badge and his augur's knife, he had adopted a new honour. A white cloth mantle over his head- pontifex maximus, high priest to the gods.

No demigod in living history had taken that title. By doing so, Octavian had promoted himself to a level akin to emperor. To his right, maps and reports were layered thickly on a low table. To his left, a marble altar heaped with fruit and gold offerings, no doubt for the gods. But it looked like an altar for _him. _

At his side, stood Jacob, the legion's eagle bearer. He stood at attention, sweating in his lion-skin cloak as he held the golden eagle standard. Octavian had an audience. At the bottom of the steps knelt a boy in jeans and a rumpled hoodie. Octavian's fellow centurion of the First Cohort, Mike Kahale, stood to one side. His arms were folded over his chest and he glowered with obvious displeasure.

"Well," Octavian said, examining a piece of parchment, "I see here you are a legacy. A descendant of Orcus." The boy looked up. Reyna felt her heart skip a beat, cold slithering down her spine. _Bryce Lawrence_. His mop of brown hair, his broken nose, his cruel green eyes and smug twisted smile. He hadn't changed. "I understand you were dismissed from the legion for, ah… disciplinary problems." Reyna tried to shout, but made no sound. Octavian knew, they _all_ knew why Bryce had been exiled. Like Orcus, the underworld god of punishment, Bryce was completely remorseless. He had survived his trials with Lupa just fine, but was deemed untrainable when he arrived at Camp Jupiter. He had tried to set a cat on fire for fun. He stabbed a horse and sent it stampeding through the Forum- Louisa had taken personal offence at that one, hence his broken nose. He was even suspected of sabotaging a siege engine and getting his own centurion killed during the war games.

If Reyna had been able to prove it, his punishment would have been death. But the evidence had been circumstantial. Bryce's family was rich and powerful, they held a great deal of sway in New Rome. He had escaped with a light punishment of banishment.

"Those charges were unproven, Pontifex. I am a loyal Roman." Bryce smirked. Kahale looked like he was doing his best not to vomit.

"I believe in second chances." Octavian smiled. "You've responded to my call for recruits. You have the proper credentials and letters of recommendation. Do you pledge to follow my orders and serve the legend?"

"Yes."

"Then you are reinstated in probatio," Octavian smirked, "until you have proven yourself in combat." He gestured to Kahale, who reached in his pouch and fished out a lead probatio tablet on a leather cord. He hung the cord around Bryce's neck, glowering as if he wanted to tighten that cord. "Report to the Fifth Cohort." Octavian instructed. "They could use some new blood, some fresh perspective. If your centurion, Dakota, has any problem with that, tell him to talk to me." Bryce smiled, like he had been handed a sharp knife. Reyna wished she had let Louisa deal with him all those years ago.

Octavian tipped his chin up. "And Bryce." His face was ghoulish, his eyes too piercing, his cheeks too gaunt. "However much money, power and prestige the Lawrence family carries- _my_ family carries more. I am _personally_ sponsoring you, as I am all the other new recruits. Follow my orders and you'll advance quickly. I may have a little job for you soon, a chance to prove your worth. But cross me and I will not be as lenient as Reyna. Do you understand?" Bryce's smile faded. He nodded. "Good. Also, get a haircut. You look like one of those graecus scum. Dismissed."

"That's two dozen now." Kahale grumbled once Bryce had left. "Murderers. Traitors. Thieves."

"We need the extra manpower. And they are loyal demigods, they owe their position to _me_." Mike Kahale scowled. Reyna understood why people called biceps 'guns' when looking at Mike- his arms were as thick as bazooka barrels. He had broad features, a toasted-almond complexion, onyx hair and proud dark eyes. She never figured out how a high-school linebacker from Hilo had wound up with Venus for a mom, but no-one in the legion teased him about it. Not when they had seen him crush rocks with his bare hands. Reyna had always liked him, a good soldier, frequently sparred with Louisa when she got under Reyna's feet. However, Mike was _extremely_ loyal to his sponsor. And that was Octavian.

Octavian stood and stretched. "Our siege teams have surrounded the Greek camp. Our eagles have aerial superiority. They won't be going anywhere until we're ready to strike. In eleven days, my forces will be in place, my little surprises will be ready. On August first, the Greek camp will fall."

"But Reyna said-"

"Reyna has forfeited her position. She went to the ancient lands, which is against the _law_."

"But the Earth Mother-"

"-has been stirring _because_ of the Greek-Roman war, yes? The gods are incapacitated, yes? And how do we solve that problem, Mike? We take out the division. We take out the Greeks. We restore the gods to their true _Roman_ manifestation. Gaia will not dare to rise with the gods returned to full power. She will sink back into her slumber." Mike shifted uncomfortably.

"You sound certain. Has your gift of prophecy-?" Octavian shushed him, holding his hand up in warning.

"Jacob, you're dismissed." He said curtly. "Go and polish the eagle or something." Jacob's shoulders slumped in relief.

"Yes, Augur. I mean, Centurion. I mean, Pontifex!"

"Just go."

"I'll go." As Jacob hurried away, the dream swirled and changed. Reyna groaned. She didn't need this.

She found herself in a forest. It was dark, the trees blotted out the majority of the night sky. They swayed in a gentle breeze, the moonlight flickering softly. She could smell pine, fresh dirt, could hear a creek trickling somewhere to her left. An owl hooted, leaves rustled.

Movement shifted in her peripheral. From behind a tree, armed with her bow, came Louisa. She was younger, maybe thirteen, fourteen. A streak of mud smeared on her cheek, her clothes hadn't fared much better, but she was unhurt. She scrutinised the forest, silently nocking an arrow as she crept forward. Reyna had seen Louisa hunting before, but she did not recognise this scene.

Trees shook to Reyna's left and there was a howl. Louisa pulled back the string of her bow. The glowing eyes of a hellhound glared at her from the shrubbery, growling low. Louisa took a breath.

Before she could fire, something crashed into her from above. The arrow was flung in a random direction. The hellhound snarled. It turned tail and ran. Louisa swore colourfully, pushing the something off. She turned to yell, stopping short when she saw what the something was.

Reyna felt her breath hitch with surprise. It was Nico. Smaller than she had seen him, olive-skinned rather than pale. His dark hair was trimmed, he clutched his jacket around him. He had to be about eleven here, but she couldn't tell. He looked up at Louisa, shivering. Tears streamed down his face, sobs racking his small frame. Louisa set her bow down carefully. The grass withered around Nico. Shadows darkened and swirled.

"Hey," she said softly, "where'd you come from?" Nico shook his head, gulping and sniffing. Louisa crouched and he flinched. "It's OK, I'm not gonna hurt ya." She promised. "Can ya tell me your name?"

"N-Nico."

"I'm Lou." She smiled, reaching out. When he didn't recoil, she put a hand on his shoulder. "How'd ya get out here, Nico?"

"I… I don't know." He dragged his sleeve across his face, staring blankly at the ground. Something in his eyes shattered and he doubled over. He wailed, screamed. It was as if his pain was washing through Reyna all over again. Tears stung her eyes. Louisa shifted closer, pulling the boy into a hug, shushing him gently. Nico clung to her, sobbing uncontrollably. Louisa looked around as she stroked his hair, looked up from where he fell from.

Nico squished his face in her shoulder. "B-Bi-Bianca's d-d-dead." He stammered. "Sh-she's d-d-dead a-and i-i-it's P-P-Per-Percy's f-f-fau-fault!" Louisa's expression tightened. She didn't know Bianca. She didn't know Percy. She hugged Nico tighter. The air darkened, shadows thickened. Reyna's breath fogged before her. The dead patch of grass crackled under her feet. "He was supposed to p-protect her…"

"You ain't gonna be alone, Nico." She said roughly. "You ain't gonna be alone, I promise." The dream faded.

"Hey, wake up." Reyna squinted. Coach was leaning over her, shaking her shoulder. "We've got trouble."

"What is it?" She demanded, struggling to sit up. "Ghosts? Monsters?"

"Worse." Coach scowled. "_Tourists_."


	3. Chapter 3

**To RandomFanAuthor- I would _love_ to write something for Albania! I was going to put something in this about it, but I couldn't quite come up with something _just right_, you know? Maybe I'll work on it some other time and one-shot it!**

* * *

Leo had trusted Louisa to steer. It probably wasn't a good idea, considering the amount of coffee she had drunk this morning, but he had a job to do and he was the only one skinny enough to fit in the crawl space. Wedged between the layers of the hull with the plumbing and the wiring, Leo could be alone with his thoughts. He didn't want to come out of the wall; every time he got frustrated, he could hit stuff with his mallet and the others would not think anything of it. He could tantrum in peace and that's exactly what he needed.

There was one problem with his sanctuary. He only fitted up to his waist. His legs and butt were still on view, which made it very hard for him to hide. Louisa had thought it was most amusing, but she had grown used to talking to his backside the last few hours. "Don't make much difference from ya face, Valdez!"

"Leo!" Piper's voice came from somewhere behind him. "We need you!" She pulled on his leg. The celestial bronze O-ring fell from Leo's pliers and vanished into the depths of the crawl space. Leo sighed.

"Talk to the pants, Piper! The hands are busy!"

"I am _not_ talking to the pants! Meeting in the mess hall, we're almost at Olympia. Yes, Lou, that includes you."

"_Uuggghh_, do I have ta?"

"Yes. Leo?"

"Yeah, yeah, I'll be there in a sec."

"What are you doing in there anyway? You've been in the hull for days!" Leo swept his flashlight across the celestial bronze plates and pistons he had been installing. It was slow work, but he was making progress.

"Just routine maintenance!" He called back. He got silence in return and swore under his breath. Piper was a little too good at knowing when he was lying. She said his name, her tone warning. "Hey," Leo cut across, "while you're out there, do me a favour. I've got this itch right below my-"

"Fine! I'm leaving!" He heard Louisa breaking down in peals of laughter. "Do _not_ encourage him, Louisa!" Piper warned furiously. Leo heard her stomp out. It took Louisa a while to wear herself out. As soon as he popped out of the wall, however, she cracked up all over again, leaning on the wheel. Leo grinned lopsidedly.

"I'll be back in a bit," Leo told her, "got some stuff to do."

"OK," she wheezed, "go itch that butt."

"Who said it was my butt?" He smirked. She half-groaned in disgust, laughter bubbling up once more. She waved him away. Leo went to his cabin, which wasn't _technically_ his cabin. He didn't sleep there. His mattress was buried in wires, nails and the guts of several disassembled bronze machines. His three massive rolling tool cabinets- Chico, Harpo and Groucho- took up most of the room. Dozens of power tools hung on the walls. The worktable was almost lost under photocopied blueprints from _On Spheres_, the Archimedes text Leo had recovered from an underground workshop in Rome.

Leo preferred to sleep in the engine room. The constant hum of machinery lulled him to sleep. And, ever since his time on Ogygia, he had become rather fond of camping outside. A bedroll on the floor was all he needed.

He retrieved his keys from his belt, opened the middle drawer of Groucho. He didn't really have time for this, but he stared at the two precious objects inside. The first was a bronze astrolabe he had liberated from those dwarves in Bologna. The second was a fist-sized chunk of crystal from Ogygia. He hadn't figured out how to put the two together, no matter how much he racked his brain. Hence the temper tantrums in the walls.

Thoughts of Calypso collided with thoughts of Louisa. He had been smitten with Louisa since the moment he saw her. They had spent _months_ together, rarely apart. Be it in Bunker Nine where they could torment his siblings. Or in the arena, while he and Piper watched her kick Jason's ass. At the camp fire, sharing marshmallows and judging other people together; at meal times stealing each other's desserts; at meetings where they only had to share a look to get the giggles; training, which Leo wasn't very good at or races, which Leo also wasn't very good; the errands she ran for him, even the one to the Underworld; all the times she brought him and his siblings food and threatened them into showers on pain of death; her tolerance for his constant Rolling Stones and then how she would hum the tunes when she thought he wasn't listening; she knew his life story and he knew some of hers- there was _always_ something to learn about her. She knew how weird he was and proceeded to out-weird him at every turn.

But there was also Calypso. Yes, OK, she had hated Leo at first and he _did_ destroy one of her tables- totally an accident, of course, but she didn't see it that way. But she had been kind and warm, she had rolled her sleeves up and picked up being Leo's assistant with hardly a second thought. She had made him the fireproof clothing and the fireproof bag for Frank's lifeline. Once she got over his irritating nature, she had been patient, but firm. She kept him on task, she had a wicked sense of humour, she had been caring and sweet and when she had kissed Leo, he thought his brain had backfired completely.

He pushed the drawer shut with a sigh. What was he going to do? Odysseus had never got the astrolabe working. He hadn't had a crystal to use as a homing beacon. Leo did. He would have to succeed where the cleverest demigod of all time had failed. It was rather typical of his luck- not only had he fallen for two impossibly powerful women, but for one he had to figure out how to wire a stupid chunk of rock into a three-thousand year old navigation device and for the other, he ran the risk of having his head ripped off by her brother. Neither of those problems would be fixed by duct tape.

He looked to his bulletin board. Two pictures hung side by side. The first was the crayon drawing of the Argo he had done when he was seven years old. The next was a charcoal sketch Hazel had done for him. As soon as they found Leo in Malta, she had known his pain right away. The first chance she got, after the whole fiasco at the House of Hades, she had marched into Leo's cabin with a single word on her lips: "Spill."

So Leo told her. She came back later that evening with her sketch pad and charcoal pencils. "Describe her." She had said. "Every detail." Leo described her easily- he couldn't close his eyes without seeing her. Now Calypso's likeness gazed back at him from the bulletin board, a slight downward turn to her mouth, her brow knitted. _Leo Valdez_, he could hear her say, _you are so full of it_.

The hum of the ship's engines changed to a lower pitch. Over the cabin loudspeaker, Festus creaked at him.

"Yeah, thanks, buddy." Leo said. "On my way."

The others were eating breakfast. Louisa had left Festus in charge of steering. Ever since Piper had permanently activated the dragon- a feat Leo _still_ did not understand- he had done an excellent job of running the ship with no-one at the helm. And there was always Buford as back-up.

Coach Hedge had left. Leo had decided that, in the satyr's absence, Buford could do just as good a job as their previous adult chaperone. He had laminated a holographic simulation of Coach Hedge to Buford's table top. Mini-Hedge stomped about on Buford's top, randomly yelling at anything that moved. "CUT THAT OUT!" He would scream. "I'M GONNA KILL YOU!" and the ever popular, "PUT SOME CLOTHES ON!" It had taken all of Leo's power to stop Louisa punting the table off the side of the ship, but that didn't stop her from trying.

Buford now manned the helm. Leo stood in the doorway of the mess hall, taking in the scene around the dining table. It wasn't often he got to see all his friends together, especially without someone or something trying to kill them.

Percy was eating a huge stack of blue pancakes. Annabeth sat next to him, scolding him for pouring on too much syrup.

"You're drowning them!" She protested.

"Hey, I'm the son of Poseidon." He stuck his tongue out. "I can't drown, so neither can my pancakes." Louisa knocked the bottle from his hands as she passed, cackling as he pouted at the back of her head. Frank and Hazel sat to their left, using cereal bowls to flatten a map of Greece. They poured over it, heads close together. Every now and then, Frank's hand would cover Hazel's, squeezing her fingers. Hazel smiled every time he did, no longer flustered at the contact. A vast improvement for a girl from the nineteen-forties. Now if only they could get her used to Louisa's foul mouth. Jason sat at the head of the table, uncomfortable, his T-shirt rolled up to his ribcage as Nurse Piper removed his bandages. Louisa stopped on the other side of him, summoning her water gloves.

"Hold still," Piper said, "I know it hurts." She added when he grimaced.

"It's just cold." He said. Louisa lay her hands on the injuries and he relaxed slightly. The entrance wound on his back was an ugly shade of purple and it steamed. Piper had privately aired her worries to Leo. No matter how much she tried to stay positive in front of Jason, no medicine was working. Not ambrosia, not nectar, no amount of mortal medicine. The only partially effective thing was Louisa's healing, but she was easing his pain more than healing. A deep cut from Celestial bronze or Imperial gold could literally dissolve a demigod's essence from the inside out.

When asked how she had recovered from Chrysaor's blade, Louisa had shrugged.

"Look, demigod injuries are weird as fuck. I'll see what I can find out, but in the meantime, will ya move? I'm bustin' for a wee."

So, every few hours, Louisa worked her water magic on Jason's injuries.

"What's up, guys?" Leo beamed, waving as he strolled into the mess hall. "Aw, yes to brownies!" He grabbed the last one over Annabeth's shoulder- from a sea-salt recipe they had picked up from Aphros, the fish centaur at the bottom of the Atlantic. Louisa glared at him.

"That was _mine_." She protested. Leo took a large bite.

"You snooze you lose!" The intercom crackled. Buford's Mini-Hedge screamed over the speakers.

"PUT SOME CLOTHES ON!" Everyone jumped. Hazel ended up five feet away from Frank. Percy sent his orange juice flying. Louisa took a step back, dropping water on Piper's head. Jason awkwardly wiggled back into his shirt and Frank turned into a bulldog. Piper glared at Leo, swiping water from her face.

"I thought you were getting rid of that stupid hologram."

"Hey, it's just Buford saying good morning! He loves his hologram!" Leo held his hands up. Louisa waved her fingers, the water flowing Piper's face and hair. "Look, we all miss the Coach. And Frank makes a cute bulldog." Frank turned back into a burly, grumpy Chinese-Canadian.

"Just sit down, Leo. We've got stuff to talk about." Leo squeezed between Jason and Hazel, the two least likely to hit him for a stupid joke. He momentarily forgot about Louisa. She loomed over him. He shoved the last of his- _her-_ brownie into his mouth and smiled sweetly. She elbowed him over a little. Piper helped lift Jason's shirt again and she went back to water magicking. Leo grabbed a pack of Fonzies. Jason leaned forward in his seat, wincing. Louisa muttered vulgarities as he moved.

"We're going to stay airborne," he said, "and drop anchor as close as we can to Olympia. It's further inland than I'd like, about five miles. But we don't have much choice. According to Juno, ow."

"Keep still then, dumbass."

"According to Juno, we have to find the goddess of victory and, um… subdue her." Jason noticed Percy. "What?"

"No, I'm not glaring you at you." He jabbed a finger at his sister. She looked up, frowning.

"What?"

"Teach me your secrets." He demanded. Louisa looked down at her hands, snorting bemusedly.

"Nah." She stuck her tongue out. Jason winced, murmuring an 'ouch'. "You do better then, Sparky."

"Sorry." Jason grimaced. Percy stuck his fork in his pancakes sulkily. He could only heal himself and Louisa, water-based demigods. He may have cleared Jason's lungs of water in the nymphs' shrine, but he had not yet learnt how to heal wounds. "So, yeah," Jason continued, "we need to find this victory goddess and subdue her." He looked around the table. Everyone stared back at him. Louisa snickered at his side.

"Way ta go, Sparky, ya got 'em all rarin' ta go."

"I'd like to see you do better."

"Done deal." Louisa smirked. "Nike likes ta win, don't mention any other sports brands, unless ya want a bigger meltdown. Kick her ass, tie her up, bring her back here 'n' we get goin' again. We got this." She nodded. "I'm gonna smack Gaia in the face myself."

"Confidence," Leo nodded, "I approve."

"Shut up 'n' eat ya Fonzies."

"I'm down for fighting the occasional goddess," Percy said around his mouthful, "but I thought Nike was one of the _good_ ones? I mean, I personally _like_ victory, can't get enough of it."

"It does seem strange," Annabeth agreed, "I understand Nike being in Olympia, home of the Olympics. Contestants sacrificed to her, Greeks and Romans, for like twelve hundred years, right?"

"Almost to the end of the Roman empire," Frank nodded, "Romans called her Victoria, but same difference. Everybody loved her, who doesn't like to win? Why would we have to subdue her?" Jason frowned, wincing. Steam curled from his wound.

"Sorry, sorry." Louisa murmured. "I'm only good for physical wounds, not spiritual ones."

"It's OK, Lou," Jason assured, "thank you." He faced the group again. "The ghoul, Antonius said 'victory runs rampant in Olympia'. Juno warned us we couldn't heal the Greek/Roman rift without defeating victory."

"How?" Piper frowned. "It sounds like a riddle."

"Like eating only one Fonzie." Leo said, shovelling a handful in his mouth. Hazel wrinkled her nose.

"Those things will kill you."

"You kidding? So many preservatives, I'm gonna live forever."

"Gods help us all." Louisa grumbled.

"_Anyway_," Leo pressed on, "remember Nike's kids at camp?"

"No." Frank and Hazel said. Everyone else made faces, Louisa simply sighed.

"_Super-_competitive," Percy said, "worse than the Ares kids. No offence, Frank." Frank shrugged it off.

"So, Nike has a dark side?" He asked.

"Her _kids_ sure do," Annabeth said, "they never turn down a challenge. Do they, _Louisa_?" She glowered at Louisa. Louisa did her best to look sweet and innocent. Leo twisted in his seat to look at her quizzically, but she offered no answers. "They _have_ to be number one at everything." Annabeth carried on, "if their mom is that intense…"

"Wait…" Piper put her hand on the table, realisation dawning on her face. "Guys, all the gods are split between their Greek and Roman aspects, right? If Nike's that way and she's the goddess of _victory-_"

"She'd be _really_ conflicted." Annabeth said. "She'd want one side or the other to win so she could declare a victor. She'd literally be fighting with _herself_." Hazel nudged her cereal bowl across the map of Greece.

"But we don't _want_ one side or the other to win. We've got to get the Greeks and Romans on the same team."

"Told ya ta let me kill Octavian."

"If the goddess of victory is running rampant," Jason said, "torn between her two sides, she might make it impossible to bring the two camps together." Percy stabbed at his pancakes.

"You know how Ares can spark a fight by walking into a crowded room? Does Nike radiate a competitive vibe or something? She could aggravate the whole Greek-Roman rivalry big-time."

"Yes she does 'n' yes she is." Louisa lowered her hands, shaking the water away. Piper helped Jason back into his T-shirt.

"Thanks, Lou."

"We should send a party of four," Frank piped up, "two Greeks, two Romans. If we can balance _our_ sides, maybe it'll help keep _her_ balanced."

"Frank's right." Annabeth nodded. "A party of four. But we'll have to be careful who goes. We don't want anything that makes Nike, uh… more unstable."

"I'll go." Piper offered. "I can try charmspeaking her."

"Not this time, Piper." Annabeth shook her head. "In her own way, Aphrodite is almost as competitive as Nike-" Louisa scoffed. "-I think Nike might see you as a threat." Piper wasn't upset with Annabeth's refusal, simply nodding. "Percy and Jason definitely can't go together. Jupiter and Poseidon, that's a bad combination." Louisa cleared her throat. "You shouldn't go full-stop, you're a nightmare." She looked to Percy and Jason. "Nike could get you two fighting easily." Percy gave her a sideways smile.

"Yeah, we can't have another Kansas. I might kill my bro Jason."

"Or I might kill my bro Percy." Jason said amiably. Louisa groaned, rolling her eyes.

"Or I might kill ya both for bein' dicks."

"Which proves my point." Annabeth nodded. "We can't send me and Frank, Mars and Athena would be just as bad."

"OK." Leo broke in. "So, Percy and me for the Greeks. Frank and Hazel for the Romans. Is that the ultimate non-competitive dream team or what?" Annabeth and Frank exchanged war-godly looks.

"It _could_ work." Frank decided. "I mean, _no_ combination is perfect, but Poseidon, Hephaestus, Pluto and Mars… I don't see any huge antagonism there. No, Lou, you are definitely _not_ going." Louisa stared at him.

"Why not?" She demanded. "Ya'll considered _Jason_ 'n' the poor bastard's been stabbed through his fuckin' _soul_!"

"_You_ were stabbed and came with us to fight the zombie nymphs!"

"Who's gonna pass up a chance to fight _zombie nymphs_?" Louisa threw her hands up. "I, for one, would love to kick Nike's ass. Adidas just don't cut it for me." Annabeth put her head in her hands. Leo laughed into his bag of Fonzies. Louisa couldn't keep a straight face for longer than ten seconds. The air around the table cleared, Leo's giggles spreading through them. Annabeth looked up.

"So, it's decided then. Frank, Hazel, Percy and Leo." She cut Louisa a warning look. "How did Jessica put up with you for so long?" Louisa's eyes widened.

"She's _scary_!" She hissed. Annabeth's brow furrowed. A million questions zipped through her mind, not one staying long enough to voice. Louisa nodded seriously and Annabeth settled on questioning life itself. "Anyhoo, ain't you lot got somewhere ta be? Fuck off, all of ya."


	4. Chapter 4

**To RandomFanAuthor- maybe he has a nice ass! And now you've said it, I need Scottish-Lou, just for a sec. Dammit! :P And I was going to send Lou instead of Percy, but I couldn't decide on which idea I wanted to use on her antagonising Nike just for the hell of it. I'm considering one-shotting all the ideas that didn't make the final cut with this, maybe I'll do that after the series has finished, remind me! **

**To JasonGraceIsDead- Thank you for noticing! ^_^**

* * *

Tourists swarmed the ruins, weaving about the villas, tromping up and down the cobblestone path, gawking at colourful frescoes and mosaics. They didn't seem to notice the forty-foot-tall statue of Athena. Each time a group approached, they would stop at the edge of the courtyard and stare in disappointment at the statue. One British tour guide announced, "Ah, scaffolding. It appears this area is undergoing restoration. Pity, let's move along."

Reyna recalled what Annabeth had told her about the Athena Parthenos- its magical aura was a beacon to monsters as well as a deterrent. Every so often, she saw glowing white spirits in her peripheral, Roman ghosts milling about the ruins and frowning at the statue.

"Those lemures are everywhere." Coach muttered. "Keeping their distance for now, but come nightfall, we'd best move on. Ghosts are always worse at night." A sour taste settled on Reyna's tongue. She didn't need the reminder.

The morning was warm, but she still shivered. Camp Jupiter's impending doom played over and over in her mind, broken by random interjections of Octavian poisoning the legion from within. _Your quest is a fool's errand_.

Camp Jupiter needed her. The Twelfth Legion needed her. She felt useless, halfway across the world, watching a satyr toast blueberry waffles on a stick over an open fire. She wanted to share her nightmares, but figured it was best to wait until Nico woke up. Her twisting stomach wouldn't let her explain twice.

Nico kept snoring. Reyna was amazed about how heavily he slept once he was actually asleep. She didn't think even _Louisa_ could wake him up right now.

Reyna rubbed at her face. Seeing Louisa in her dream had sent aches through her chest. She couldn't explain what she felt for the wayward daughter of Poseidon- as a praetor, Louisa was the biggest pain in the podex she had ever encountered. But, at the same time, she was one of Reyna's most loyal friends. Any Roman that stepped out of line, like Bryce… if Louisa got there first, it took all of Reyna's strength to get her away again.

And seeing her, immediately taking Nico under her wing as he cried about people she did not know, Reyna felt an inkling of understanding somewhere in the recess of her mind. Louisa's trust was hard to win. Once broken, it was never repaired, but to have… she was a guaranteed support, for any situation. Romans loved and feared her- a daughter of Neptune whose powers grew exponentially, who kept them all on their toes and would fight to her last breath for her friends. Reyna had won her trust. Louisa had won Reyna's. It was a shame her unpredictability kept her from praetorship.

"You'll see her again." Coach said. Reyna lowered her hands. The satyr offered her a plate of flame-grilled waffles with fresh sliced kiwi and pineapple.

"Where are you getting these supplies?" Reyna marvelled.

"Hey, I'm a satyr. We're _very_ efficient packers. And we also know how to live off the land." He took a bite of waffle. "But you will see her again."

"How-?"

"Satyrs are very good with emotions too."

"Huh." Reyna added that to her list of faun-satyr differences. "What… what makes you so sure?"

"Louisa is the most _annoying_ demigod I've had the displeasure to meet. She causes trouble wherever she goes and revels in it. Generally, I'd love that trouble, I don't mind bashing in a few heads, don't know if you haven't noticed or what, but I do. But she gives me a migraine." Reyna's brow furrowed. Coach shook his head. "What I'm trying to say… is that… I don't know how long you've known her, I don't know the whole story and that's fine, I don't need to know. But you really think she'd give up so easily as to _not_ ever see you again?"

"No." Reyna looked down at her breakfast. "She is rather stubborn."

"That's putting it nicely." Coach scoffed. Reyna ate quietly. He took out a notepad and started to write. When he was finished, he folded the paper into an aeroplane and tossed it into the air. A breeze carted it off.

"To your wife?" Reyna guessed.

"Mellie's a cloud nymph. Air spirits send stuff by paper aeroplane all the time. Hopefully, her cousins will keep it going across the ocean until it finds her. It's not as fast as an IM, but well… I want our kid to have some record of me, in case, you know…" He trailed off.

"We'll get you home." Reyna promised. "You _will_ see your kid." Hedge clenched his jaw. His wife was close to giving birth at Camp Half-Blood. Reyna couldn't imagine him as a father, but she understood a childhood without parents. She wasn't going to let that happen to his child.

Coach bit some more waffle, including the stick he had toasted it on.

"I just wish we could move faster." He pointed at Nico with the remnant of his stick. "I don't see how this kid is going to last one more jump. How many more until we get home?" Reyna bit her lip, glancing worriedly at Nico.

She finished breakfast as a group of Chinese tourists shuffled past the courtyard. Reyna had been awake for less than an hour and was already restless.

"Thanks for breakfast, Coach." She got to her feet and stretched. "If you'll excuse me, I need to use the little praetors' room."

"Go ahead." He jangled the whistle hung around his neck. "If anything happens, I'll blow." Reyna nodded. She left her dogs on guard duty and wandered off. It took her a while of squeezing through crowds before she found the visitors' centre with restrooms. She did her best to clean up, a little peeved that she was in an actual Roman city and couldn't enjoy a nice hot Roman bath.

On her return, she passed a small museum with a window display. Behind the glass lay a row of plaster figures, captured in the throes of death. A young girl was curled in the foetal position. A woman lay twisted in agony, her mouth open to scream, her arms over her head. A man knelt with his head bowed, accepting the inevitable. Horror and revulsion swirled up in Reyna's chest. These were creepy replicas of Ancient Romans, caught in volcanic ash that had buried their city when Vesuvius erupted.

Reyna had dreamt of coming to Italy for as long as she could remember. She wanted to see the Tiber River, where Lupa had rescued Romulus and Remus. She had wanted to visit Diocletian's Palace, but that had hardly gone to plan. She used to envision going to the palace with Jason. Instead, she had arrived in Croatia with a dozen angry wind spirits. She had fought through ghosts in the palace. On her way out, gryphons had mortally wounded Scipio. The closest she had got to Jason was a measly note left under a bust of Diocletian.

But Pompeii? Reyna would _never_ have come here under better circumstances, under _any _circumstances. Home to Rome's most infamous disaster, an entire city lost to the earth. After her dreams, it was another reminder she didn't need.

She wrenched herself away from the window, scowling at some tourists clamouring around her. They backed up sharpish and she began her walk back.

* * *

The rest of the afternoon was unnervingly silent. Reyna kept watch while Coach slept. Tourists came and went. A few harpies and wind spirits flew overhead. Aurum and Argentum snarled in warning, but the monsters didn't linger anyway. Ghosts hovered at the edges of the courtyard, too intimidated by the statue to come any closer. Reyna understood that sentiment- the longer they were in Pompeii, the angrier the statue seemed. It radiated hatred in waves that made Reyna's skin itchy and fried her nerves.

Nico awoke just after sunset. He wolfed down an avocado and cheese sandwich. She finally told them about her dreams, minus the one of him and Louisa. Nico stared at his empty plate as she spoke, as if wondering where his food went.

"This hunter," he said once she had finished, "a giant, maybe?"

"I'd rather not find out." Coach grunted. "I say we keep moving." Nico's mouth twitched.

"_You_ are suggesting we _avoid_ a fight?"

"Listen, cupcake, I like a smackdown as much as the next guy-"

"Particularly if the next guy is Lou."

"-but we've got enough monsters to worry about without some bounty-hunter giant tracking us across the world. I don't like the sounds of those arrows either." Nico unfolded his jacket, wiggling his finger through an arrow hole in his sleeve.

"I could ask for advice…" He sound reluctant. "Thalia Grace-"

"Jason's sister." Reyna remembered. Nico nodded.

"The Hunters of Artemis are… well, _hunters_. If anybody knew this giant hunter guy, Thalia would. I could try sending her an IM."

"You don't sound very happy about that. Are you two… on bad terms?"

"We're fine." Nico insisted. Aurum snarled quietly. Nico ignored him. Reyna decided not to pry.

"I'll try and contact my sister, Hylla. Camp Jupiter is lightly defended; perhaps the Amazons would be willing to offer some assistance."

"Uh, no offence, Reyna, but how's an army of Amazons going to fight a wave of dirt?" Coach scowled. Reyna swallowed back a swell of dread. Coach was right. Their only good defence against the earthen destruction was to stop the giants from waking Gaia. For that, however, she had to put her trust in the crew of the Argo II.

The sun was getting low.

"We can talk more after the next jump." Reyna decided. Hundreds of glowing Roman ghosts were forming a mob around the courtyard, carrying spectral clubs or stones. "We need to get out of here."

"Give me a few seconds to harness up," Nico said, standing, "I think we can reach Spain this time, if we're lucky. Just let me-" The ghosts vanished, like a mass of birthday candles blown out in one go. "Uh, where did they go?" Reyna's hand gripped her dagger.

Coach rose to his hooves.

"_A few seconds you do not have_." Reyna's stomach shrivelled. He spoke with a woman's voice. The same voice from her nightmare. She drew her knife. Coach turned towards her, his face blank. His eyes were solid black. _"Be glad, Reyna Ramírez-Arellano. You will die as a Roman. You will join the ghosts of Pompeii._" The ground rumbled. Spirals of ash danced in the air all around them. They crashed together into crude human shapes, like the earthen shells in the museum. They stared at Reyna, ragged holes for eyes in their faces of rock. "_The earth will swallow you_," Coach said in the voice of Gaia, _"just as it swallowed them._"

"Oh, for the love of… there are too many of them!" Her greyhounds stood either side of her. Nico fumbled with the harness. She counted twenty of the earthen shells, closing in from every direction.

"_The dead always outnumber the living_." Coach said. "_These spirits have waited centuries, unable to express their anger. Now I have given them bodies of earth_."

"I can't control them!" Nico swore. "I think the rock shells are blocking me! I need a couple of seconds to concentrate on making the jump!" Reyna cursed quietly. She couldn't fight them all on her own, especially with Coach amongst their numbers.

"Use the sceptre, get me some zombies."

"_It will not help_." Coach intoned. "_Stand aside, praetor. Let the ghosts of Pompeii destroy this Greek statue. A true Roman would not resist._" The earthen ghosts shuffled forward. The ground cracked under their weight. One put its foot through one of Coach's traps, smashing it to pieces.

"Nico, zombies!"

"But what if they join them?"

"I am a praetor, they will do as _I_ say!"

"_You shall perish_." Coach said. "_You shall never-_" Reyna smacked him on the head with the butt of her knife. He crumpled.

"Sorry, Coach, that was annoying. Nico, _zombies_! Then concentrate on getting us out of here!" Nico raised the sceptre. The ground shook. The earthen mob chose that moment to charge. Aurum launched himself as the closest one, nearly biting its head off. The rock shell toppled backwards and shattered. Argentum was not so lucky. He sprang at another, which swung its heavy arm and bashed the greyhound in the face. The dog went flying. Reyna cried out.

Argentum staggered to his feet. His head was twisted forty-five degrees to the right. One of his ruby eyes was missing. Anger blasted through Reyna. She had already lost her pegasus. She was _not_ going to lose her dogs too. She sliced her knife through the ghost's chest, drew her gladius. It wasn't a very Roman fighting style, but she had spent time with pirates and Louisa. She knew a fair amount of tricks.

The shells crumbled easily, but they hit like sledgehammers. She couldn't afford to take a single blow. "Nico!" She called, ducking between two of the ghosts. "Any time now!"

The ground split down the centre of the courtyard. Dozens of skeletal soldiers yanked themselves to the surface. Their shields were like giant, corroded pennies. Their blades were more rust than metal. Reyna was happy to see them. "Legion! Ad aciem!" The zombies responded, pushing through the ghosts to form a battle line. Some fell, crushed by stone fists. The others closed ranks and raised their shields.

Nico cursed. Reyna glanced round. The sceptre was smoking in his hands.

"It's fighting me! I don't think it likes me summoning Romans to fight Romans!"

"Just secure Coach Hedge. Get ready to shadow travel, I'll-" Nico yelped. The sceptre of Diocletian exploded into tiny pieces. He didn't look hurt, but stared at Reyna in shock.

"I… I don't know what happened. But you've got a few minutes before your zombies disappear."

"Legion!" Reyna shouted. "Orbem formate! Gladium signe!"

Reyna fought alongside them, lending her strength to the ranks as best she could. But for every ghost they took down, more rose from swirls of ash. When they took down a zombie, there was no replacement. She slashed her gladius at a ghost, stabbed another in the chest with her knife. All around her, zombies fell. Some disintegrated of their own accord, disappearing as the sceptre's power faded.

"Reyna!" Nico yelled. The shadows flickered around him. He held Coach by the arm, his other hand extended to her. "Reyna, come on! We're leaving!" Her dogs had disappeared. Reyna stumbled. A rock fist gave her a glancing blow to her ribcage and her side erupted in pain. Her head swam. She tried to breathe, but it was like inhaling fiery knives. "Reyna!" Nico shouted again. The statue began to flicker, on the verge of disappearing. An earthen ghost swung at her head. She ducked, but the pain in her ribs almost made her black out. Nico flourished his hand as he slipped into the shadows. With what little strength she could muster, Reyna leaped towards him.


	5. Chapter 5

**To RandomFanAuthor- I did originally want to add more about Reyna/Lou from Reyna's POV, but I didn't want to overdo it. I will go over upcoming chapters and see what I can do though! I didn't add much in because I wasn't sure how Reyna/Lou would go down :P **

**To JasonGraceIsDead- Thank you! ^_^**

* * *

While Percy, Leo, Frank and Hazel went off to subdue a victory goddess, Louisa was instantly collared by Annabeth. "I ain't done it." She said. Annabeth blinked at her, brow furrowing suspiciously.

"Done what?" She asked carefully.

"Um…" Louisa shrugged. "Nothin' you can prove." Annabeth sighed, pinched the bridge of her nose. Dark circles smudged under her eyes, her hair looked like it hadn't been brushed this morning, just yanked back into a messy bun. "You OK?"

"I wanted to ask you something."

"If you really have to."

"Lou, I'm serious."

"Huh. Go off then, Blondie, what's buggin' ya?" Annabeth glanced round, chewing her lip. She grabbed Louisa by the wrist, pulling her into the mess hall.

"I wanted to… it's about Percy."

"Ah. I knew he'd get ta ya eventually."

"What? No! Not like that, shut up!" Annabeth flushed crimson. "It's about… it's about his powers." Louisa frowned, crossing her arms. "I know you've been teaching him… some stuff; I know you've had more practise with your powers and I _know_ you can do… _things_ that you really shouldn't." Her eyes flashed dangerously. Louisa's thoughts strayed to Shrimpzilla, but she held her tongue. Annabeth hesitated. She haltingly told Louisa about their encounter with the goddess, Misery. Louisa didn't look surprised once she had finished, just annoyed. "Did you… already know?"

"Yeah, I saw."

"I… I didn't think…" Her voice trembled. "I didn't think I'd ever be… _scared_. Of _Percy_." Her hands began shaking, tears stung her eyes. Louisa held her hand out and Annabeth gripped it tightly, the room swaying.

"It's OK, Blondie, you're on the Argo." Louisa squeezed her fingers, humming distractedly. It was one of Leo's Rolling Stone tracks, but it gave something Annabeth to focus on as she steadied her breathing. "Percy ain't really said anythin' ta me 'bout it," she said once Annabeth looked at her, "but if he does, I'll help him."

"No offence, Lou, but I don't want him turning out like you. Poison was one thing. What you did to Shrimpzilla…"

"Yeah, I know, bad Lou, bad Lou." Louisa let go of her hand. Annabeth frowned. "I'll help him _control it_. Glare at me all ya want, Beth, but you of all people should know Big Three kids are the biggest fuck ups _ever_. There's a reason we ain't supposed ta _exist_ but there's not much say we've got in it now." Louisa scowled. "Now if ya don't mind, I need to go 'n' sort Jason out." She shoved past her, stomping to the medical bay. She heard a door slam somewhere in the cabins.

"You look happy." Jason remarked. Piper sat next to him, watching Louisa worriedly.

"I'm fine. Pipes, ya wanna check on Annabeth for me?" Something in Louisa's tone hurried Piper out the door, but she did linger in the doorway for a moment. "I'm fine, Piper, I'm fine." Piper didn't look convinced but she went.

"You're not fine."

"Says the guy that has a stab wound in his soul." Jason, already propped up on his pillows, sat forward a little, wincing. She unravelled his bandages, hands shaking in temper. The bandages fell away and she held her hands out for her water.

"Why are you mad?" Jason asked a minute later.

"I'm not mad!"

"The water's warm and you're muttering swear words under your breath."

"When ain't I?" She retorted sharply. Jason winced. "Sorry." The water cooled a little. "Sometimes I hate bein' a Big Three kid."

"Tell me about it." Jason sighed.

"I just wanna chill with my shark friends 'n' blow shit up, why is that too much ta ask?" Jason nodded.

"I just wanted to be like everyone else at Camp Jupiter, but being a son of the dude the camp is named after _kind of_ puts you on a pedestal."

"Screw that noise."

"Thank you! Camp Half-Blood is way more chill!"

"Aw, someone's more orange than purple!"

"I know, I know, but Camp Jupiter…" Jason sighed, almost wistfully. He was glad to see her anger had reduced, replaced with curiosity. The water was cold now. Even though his injury felt cold, it was the kind of cold that _burned. _The coolness of Louisa's water seemed to soothe that, chase away the aches. "I had so many ideas that went against regulations," he told her, "like renaming it the First Legion. Like a fresh start. Everyone thought I was crazy."

"Well, you're a Big Three kid, we're all a bit crazy."

"Some more than others." He jibed.

"At least I ain't got a spirit wound."

"That's a low blow, Lou."

"Actually, it's 'bout in the middle."

"Oh, ha ha." Jason snorted. "No wonder Reyna throws things at you."

"Pfft, she loves me really."

"Yes, I heard." He raised his eyebrows at her, surprised to see her cheeks tinge pink. She shook her water away and began retying his bandages. Jason took a breath, only a tiny, easily tolerable twinge of pain instead of the usual white hot screaming agony. "Thanks, Lou."

"Anytime." She helped him sit back against the pillows, flopping back into Piper's seat.

"Can I ask you something?"

"Oh gods, not you too."

"What?"

"Nothing." She sighed. "What is it?"

"Nico. I'm worried about him."

"Nico?" Louisa repeated. She rubbed at her jaw. "I don't like this idea of him shadow travellin' so much. If he ain't careful, he's gonna get himself killed." She huffed. "Well, dissolved."

"Wait what?"

"Underworldy powers. More Big Three perks." She scowled. "If Nico jumps in 'n' out of shadows too many times, he might not come back out."

"Reyna will keep an eye on him." Jason assured. "She's good like that." Louisa nodded in agreement, head bowed glumly. "And Coach Hedge." He added. "If anything can get Nico out of those shadows, it'll be Coach and his bat."

"That's a fair point." Louisa smiled weakly.

"That's not what I wanted to ask you about though." Her head snapped up and she fixed Jason with a firm, near-withering look.

"Nico ain't allowed to date anyone 'til he's biologically thirty-five or unless I say so."

"I'm not trying to date Nico. I've got Piper." He paused. "Considering you don't steal her."

"'N' you ain't allowed to set him up either."

"I will bear that in mind." He found himself laughing. She squinted at him. "You moan at Percy for that protective big brother thing, but you're _definitely_ a protective big sister."

"Yeah, but I'm better."

"Says who?"

"Me. Duh." The intercom crackled and Buford's Mini-Coach screamed over the system.

"CUPCAKES AHOY!"

"Oh, _greeeaaat_, they're back."

* * *

Percy had persuaded Louisa to stay onboard while Piper and Frank scoured the port of Pylos. Frank had chosen Piper, and _only_ Piper, in the hope her charmspeak would assist him if they ran into any of his shape-shifting relatives. So now, Percy sat with Louisa on the edge of the ship, their legs dangling over the water, while trying to explain why sending her on _peaceful_ missions was _not_ a good idea.

"But I wanna look for deadly poison too!"

"No, absolutely not."

"_Why_?"

"Because knowing you, you'd pick a fight with a bunch of shape-shifters," he poked her in the forehead, "and that's not something any of us want to deal with right now."

"I could take 'em."

"No, Lou."

"Yes, Lou." She grinned. Percy sighed.

"What part of getting the physician's cure did you not understand?"

"Uh, the part where it's made of _deadly_ poison, some kinky god's heartbeat 'n' the curse of an island that only grew roots when Apollo 'n' Artemis were born?" Percy pressed his lips together. "What?"

"Kinky god?"

"Leo said somethin' about it being tied up, I dunno, I was only partially listenin'."

"Do you ever fully listen?"

"Sorry, what'd ya say?" She sounded sincere, but her eyes glittered cheekily. Percy, for the umpteenth time that morning, wondered how he got stuck with such a… _Louisa_ for a sister. He planted a hand firmly on her head- he found this was the best way to get her attention, even if only part of it- and explained the Nike fiasco again. The Nikettes, the popcorn, Nike's constant screaming for victory on everyone's part. She had given them the ingredients for the physician's cure, a potion to remedy death. She had only shut up when Frank had stuffed one of his socks into her mouth. "Classy Zhang." Louisa nodded.

"I don't think he's very happy that she's next to his room though."

"She does yell a lot." Louisa agreed. "'N' that's comin' from me. I specialise in yellin'."

"I thought you specialised in violence?"

"I specialise in a lot of things, unlike you."

"Ouch."

"How long they gonna be anyway? I'm bored."

"You're always bored."

"I don't keep very good company round here, ya'll borin'."

"SECOND PLACE IS FIRST LOSER!" Louisa sighed. Nike was being held in the stables. Maybe _not_ the most dignified place to kidnap a goddess, but it was better than Louisa's idea- hanging her from the top of the mast. "FIRST PLACE OR DEATH!"

"Death sounds very temptin' right 'bout now." She muttered. Percy messed her hair, she smacked his hand away. "I'm gonna go check on Jay, be back in a bit. Possibly."

"Don't get my hopes up."

"I will drop-kick you off this ship." Percy blew a raspberry at her. Louisa stuck her tongue out, gave him the middle finger and sauntered off. Jason had been moved back to his cabin for the morning. Piper had given him strict instructions to get some rest while she went with Frank, but he was wide awake and frowning at the ceiling when Louisa stuck her head in. "How's my favourite shish-kebab cousin?" She grinned. He tipped his head in her direction, unimpressed. She stepped back out for a moment. Under her orders, Frank had moved one of her water barrels to outside Jason's door. She kept it topped up with salt water, pretty easy to do when it was the only thing you could see for miles and miles.

She held her hands over the water and, once again, it coated her hands like big, splashy mittens. She budged Jason's door open with her hip. He managed to sit up, with minimal help from her, but the effort cast a sickly grey shadow under his skin. "I had an idea," she told him, "we could chop ya body off below the wound 'n'-"

"No."

"Ya didn't even let me finish!" She protested. Jason raised a brow at her, too tired to even smile, but the sentiment was there. "Fine." She muttered. She wiggled her fingers, balancing all the water on one hand. His torso was bound in bandages, he hardly bothered with a T-shirt now.

Louisa mentally swore as she pulled the bandages away. The wound still steamed on his back, it looked even more purple now. "Remind me who this, uh, Virus guy is?" She asked, splitting the water onto both hands again. Jason sighed.

"Michael _Varus_. The guy that lost the Legion the eagle back in the eighties."

"Oooh, that dude." She lay her hands over his injuries and he sighed in relief, expression easing. "I have zero problem goin' back 'n' stabbin' him for ya."

"Thanks, Lou, but…" He shook his head. She called him a 'buzzkill', which was probably the nicest insult he would ever get from her. "Can I ask you something?"

"Again?"

"Yes."

"No."

"Please?"

"Depends." She shot him a questioning look. Jason slowly began to explain about his mother's spirit. Well, her mania anyway, a spirit of insanity. Louisa said nothing while he spoke, the relief of her energy flowing through his chest and dulling the otherwise constant throbbing pain. Jason knew it wouldn't last long, but he revelled in the respite, no matter how brief. He hesitated as the story ended, biting his lip. "What did ya wanna ask then, Sparky?"

"Do you… do you think I'll… turn out like her?"

"No." Louisa said instantly. "I'm amazed that even entered ya head, dumbass." His brow creased. "I don't know much about ya mom, Thalia 'n' I… uh, we don't exactly see eye-ta-eye. All I got was that ya mom was a bit of psycho, bit too greedy. Not much of a mom. It sucks, I know, but you're better than that, Grace. I mean, you _were_ praetor 'n' they don't make psychos _praetor_, trust me on that one." She sighed. "'N' look at ya now. On a quest ta save the world from _Mother Earth_. If anyone's gonna turn into a mania when they die, it's gonna be me."

"Why?"

"I'm literally one step away from it." She answered simply. "Dyin'." She added at his blank look.

"I can't always tell when you're being serious and when you're being sarcastic." He admitted. She smiled.

"One of my many talents."

"I don't think you'd be a mania, Lou."

"Ugh, crush my dreams, why don't ya?"

"You're not obsessive or- or… you're not bitter. You don't dwell on it, you're not… possessed by-" He stopped. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

"Some bastard just answered his own question." She smirked. Jason blinked at her. And then he smiled.

"Thanks, Lou."

* * *

Piper and Frank returned just after midday. Louisa and Percy were sat where they had last seen them, on the edge of the foredeck with their legs hanging over the water. They were keeping an eye on a giant red sea serpent swimming off to port side.

"That thing is _really_ red." Percy muttered.

"Red's a good colour." Louisa nodded approvingly.

"I wonder if it's cherry-flavoured."

"Why don't you swim over and find out?" Annabeth suggested. Percy looked at her over his shoulder.

"How about no." He grabbed his sister's hand as she flung her arm back. "Don't throw anything at it."

"Anyway," Frank said, "according to my Pylos cousins, the chained god we're looking for in Sparta is my dad… uh, I mean Ares, not Mars. Apparently the Spartans kept a statue of him chained up in their city so the spirit of the war would never leave them."

"Oo-kay." Leo said. "The Spartans were freaks. Of course, we've got Victory tied up downstairs, so I guess we can't talk." Jason leaned on the forward ballista, grimacing.

"On to Sparta then." He said. "But how does a chained god's heartbeat help us find a cure for dying?" The tightness in his face showed he was in more pain than he let on. Louisa looked over at him, but he shook his head. Piper bit her lip- she recalled what her mother had told her last night, a surprise dream visit from Aphrodite. _It's not just his sword wound, my dear. It's the ugly truth he saw in Ithaca. If the poor boy doesn't stay strong, the truth will eat right through him_.

"Piper?" Hazel asked. Piper started.

"Sorry, what?"

"I was asking you about the visions." Hazel pointed at the knife in Piper's belt. "You told me you'd seen some in your dagger?"

"Oh… yeah." Piper unsheathed Katoptris. Ever since she had stabbed Khione in the chest, the visions had been colder and harsher. She had seen eagles circling over Camp Half-Blood, a wave of earth taking out New York. She had seen past visions too, her father beaten and bound at Mount Diablo, Percy and Jason fighting the twin giants, the river god Achelous. She struggled to keep her thoughts clear, coughing nervously. "I, um… I don't see anything right now. But one vision kept popping up. Annabeth and I are exploring some ruins-"

"Ruins!" Leo clapped and rubbed his hands. "Now we're talking. How many ruins can there be in Greece?"

"Lou." Jason said. Louisa waved her hand and a sphere of water, the size of a basketball, twisted into shape over Leo's head. He watched it cautiously, keeping quiet.

"Piper," Annabeth said, "do you think it was Sparta?"

"Maybe." Piper said uncertainly. "Anyway… suddenly we're in this dark place, like a cave? We're staring at this bronze warrior statue. In the vision I touch the statue's face and flames start swirling around us. That's all I saw."

"Flames." Frank scowled. "I don't like this vision."

"Me neither." Percy agreed, keeping one eye on the red sea serpent. It was slithering in figures of eights through the waves, about a hundred yards to port. "If that statue engulfs people in fire, we should send Leo."

"I love you too, man."

"You know what I mean. You're immune. Or, heck, give me some of those nice water grenades and _I'll_ go. I wouldn't mind tangling with Ares again." Louisa was staring at him. "What?"

"Heck." She said. Percy wrinkled his nose at her.

"Kinky god."

"I stand by it!" She pointed at him. The ball of water zoomed over and fell on his head instead. Leo opened his mouth to ask, but she cut him a warning look.

"If Piper saw the two of us going after that statue," Annabeth said, "then that's who should go. We'll be all right." Frank held out the vial of Pylosian mint, a question on his face. "Put it in the hold, make sure it's secure. Once we figure out this chained god situation, we'll head to the island of Delos." Off to port, the sea serpent spewed steam.

"Yeah, it's definitely checking us out." Percy decided. "Maybe we should take to the air for a while."

"Ugh, _really_?" Louisa's shoulders slumped.

"You wanna deal with that?" Percy jabbed a thumb over his shoulder at the serpent. Louisa considered it for a minute. "It's basically a giant red snake, Lou."

"How dare somethin' so digustin' take on my favourite colour?" She whistled sharply, the sea serpent raised its head. "Suck a dick, fuckass!"

"Aaaand airborne it is." Leo laughed. Percy caught his sister in a headlock, covering her mouth and struggling as she squirmed in his hold. "Festus, up please!" The bronze dragon creaked and clacked. The engines hummed and the oars lifted, expanding into aerial blades with a sound like ninety umbrellas opening at once. "We should reach Sparta by morning." Leo announced. Percy yelped in disgust and shoved his sister away. Louisa cackled and hopped out of his reach. Percy flailed his hand, scowling at her in disbelief.

"_Did you just lick me_?"


	6. Chapter 6

**To RandomFanAuthor- 'Did you just lick me?!' is _definitely_ a common phrase between siblings. And it's going to be great, that final battle, you'll love it, I'm not planning anything, totally **

**To JasonGraceIsDead- No he can't! I'll take that wager! ^_^**

**Once again, I changed what I could, tried to shorten it somewhat, so ya'll not reading the original stuff, I've done my best! **

* * *

Nico heard Coach grumbling before he passed out, something that sounded like 'not good'. For a brief moment, he wondered what he had done wrong this time, but then his vision darkened. His other senses shut down and his knees buckled.

So he tried to make the most of his unconsciousness. Dreams and death were old friends of his. He knew how to navigate their dark borderlands. He threw his thoughts out in search of Thalia Grace. He was whisked past the usual painful fragments of memories. His mother smiling down at him. Bianca laughing as she pulled him across the Mall in Washington. He saw Percy Jackson on a snowy cliff outside Westover Hall, shielding the di Angelo siblings from the manticore. He saw Louisa before he landed on her in that forest, the first time he had shadow travelled. He saw Minos leading him through the Labyrinth.

He forged ahead. The son of Hades did not have time to dwell on them, he didn't dare face the darkness, despite his birth right. He pushed through a grey and black terrain, searching for Thalia Grace. Instead, the ground dissolved under his feet and he fell into a familiar backwater. The Hypnos cabin at Camp Half-Blood.

Nico sighed. Buried under piles of feather comforters, snoring demigods nestled in their bunks. Above the mantel, a dark tree branch dripped milky water from the River Lethe into a bowl. A cheerful fire crackled in the fireplace. Before it, a leather armchair held the counsellor for Cabin Fifteen. A snoring, pot-bellied guy with unruly blond hair and a gentle bovine face.

"Clovis." Nico growled. "For the love of gods, stop _dreaming_ so powerfully!" Clovis's eyes fluttered open. He turned, staring blankly at Nico, trying to place him in his dreams. The actual Clovis would still be snoring in the armchair back at Camp.

"Oh, hi…" Clovis yawned. "Did I pull you off course again?" Nico gritted his teeth, biting back his upset. There was no point; the Hypnos cabin acted like the Grand Central Station for dream activity.

"Can you pass on a message? Tell Chiron I'm on my way with a couple of friends. We're bringing the Athena Parthenos." Clovis rubbed his eyes.

"So, it's true? How are you bringing it?" Nico explained as quickly and as exactly as he could. Dream messages often went fuzzy around the edges, particularly when dealing with Clovis. The simpler, the better. Nico told him about the hunter following them. "We think it might be one of Gaia's giants. Can you get that message to Thalia Grace? You're better at finding people in dreams than I am. I need her advice."

"I'll try." Clovis yawned again. "Before you go, do you have a sec?"

"This is a dream, Clovis. Time is fluid." Even as he said it, Nico worried about his physical self, about Reyna and Coach. They could still be plummeting to their death, or surrounded by monsters. But he just couldn't wake himself up.

"Right…" Clovis nodded. "I was thinking you should probably see what happened at the war council today. I slept through some of it, but-"

"Show me." The scene changed. Nico suddenly stood in the rec room, the senior camp leaders gathered around the ping pong table. Chiron sat in his magical wheelchair to one end, his hair greyer and deep lines etched into his face.

"Let's review our defences." He said, looking to Clarisse. "Where do we stand?" She was the only one sat in full armour and she gestured with her dagger as she spoke, making those either side of her a little conscious of their very pokeable eyes.

"Our defensive line is mostly solid. The campers are as ready for a fight as they'll ever be. We control the beach. Our triremes are unchallenged in Long Island Sound, but," she glowered, "those stupid giant eagles dominate our airspace. Inland, in all three directions," she jabbed in said directions with her blade, counsellors ducking or scooting back in their seats, "the barbarians have us completely cut off."

"They're Romans." Rachel said, doodling on her jeans with a marker. "Not barbarians." Clarisse pointed her dagger at her, frowning.

"What about their allies, huh? Those two-headed men that arrived yesterday? The glowing red dog-head guys with the big poleaxes? Look like barbarians to me." She scowled. "It'd've been nice if you'd _foreseen_ any of that. Typical of your Oracle power to break down when we need it most!" Rachel's flushed as red as her hair.

"That's hardly my fault." She retorted curtly. "Something is wrong with Apollo's gift of prophecy. If I knew how to fix it-"

"She's right." Will chipped in. He put a hand gently on Clarisse's arm. Anyone else would have been stabbed for that move, but Will had a knack for defusing people's anger. He got her to lower her dagger. "Everyone in our cabin has been affected. It's not just Rachel." With his shaggy blond hair and pale blue eyes, Will reminded Nico of Jason, but the similarities ended there. Jason had an intensity in him, the constant alertness and coiled energy of a fighter. Will was more like a lanky cat stretching out in the sunshine. He moved in a relaxed, nonthreatening way, like he had all the time in the world. His eyes were soft and distant. He looked about as unaggressive as a demigod could get, but Nico knew better. In the Battle of Manhattan, Will had risked his life multiple times to save wounded campers, the best combat medic the camp had seen. Nico had heard that he, and his siblings, had been a great help to Louisa while Percy was missing.

Will was still talking, "We don't know what's going on at Delphi," he said, "Dad hasn't answered any prayers or appeared in any dreams. I know _all_ the gods have been silent, but this isn't like Apollo. Something's wrong." Jake Mason, sat opposite Will, grunted.

"Probably this Roman dirt-wipe who's leading the attack. Octavian something-or-other. If I was Apollo and that was _my_ descendant, I'd go into hiding out of shame too." Will nodded in agreement, sighing wistfully.

"I wish I was a better archer. I wouldn't mind shooting my… _delightful_ Roman relative off his high horse." He shook his head. "I can't really use _any_ of my father's gifts to stop this war." He frowned down at his hands. "I'm just a healer."

"Your talents are essential." Chiron assured. "I fear we'll need them soon enough. As for seeing the future, what about Ella? Has she offered any advice?" Rachel shook her head.

"She's scared out of her wits. Harpies hate being imprisoned and since the Romans surrounded us, she feels trapped. It's all Tyson and I can do to keep her here." Butch Walker, son of Iris, crossed his burly arms and scowled.

"Those bloody eagles… flying isn't safe. I've already lost two pegasi."

"At least Tyson brought some of his Cyclops friends to help. That's a little good news." Raiding the refreshment table, Connor Stoll laughed.

"A dozen full-grown Cyclopes? That's _a lot_ of good news! Plus, Lou Ellen and the Hecate cabin have been putting up magic barriers. The Hermes cabin have been lining the hills with traps and snares and all kinds of nice surprises for the Romans!"

"Most of which you stole from Bunker Nine and my cabin." Jake Mason frowned. Clarisse grumbled agreement.

"You even stole our landmines. How do you steal _live_ landmines?"

"We _commandeered _them for the war effort!" Connor sprayed a glob of Easy Cheese into his mouth. "Besides, you have plenty of toys!" He said around his mouthful. "Learn to share!" Chiron turned to his left. Grover sat in silence beside him, toying with his reed pipes.

"Grover? What news from the nature spirits?" He asked gently. Grover sighed heavily.

"It's hard to organise nymphs and dryads on a good day. With Gaia on the verge of waking, they're just as disorientated as the gods. Katie and Miranda are out there right now, trying to help, but if the Earth Mother wakes…" He glanced around the table, licking his lips nervously. "Well… I can't promise the woods will be safe. O-or the hills. Or the strawberry fields. Or-"

"Great." Jake Mason elbowed Clovis, who was beginning to doze. "What do we do then?"

"Attack!" Clarisse slammed her fist on the ping pong table, making them all jump. "The Romans are gathering more and more reinforcements every day. We know they plan to invade on the first, why should we _wait_? We should attack now, before they get any stronger!"

"Clarisse." Malcolm waved for her attention. He was acting head of the Athena cabin. "I get your point. But have you studied Roman engineering? Their _temporary_ camp is better defended than Camp Half-Blood. Attack them at their base and we'd be massacred."

"We can't just wait!" Clarisse protested. "We're _sitting here_ while they're preparing their forces, Gaia's closer to waking up, I've Coach Hedge's pregnant wife under my protection! I am _not_ going to let anything happen to her! I owe Hedge my life!" She cut Malcolm a glare. "I've been training the campers more than you. Their morale is low, everyone is scared. If we're under siege for another nine days-"

"We should stick to Annabeth's plan." Connor looked about as serious as he could, with Easy Cheese smeared on his face. "We have to hold out until she gets that magic Athena statue back here."

"You mean if that _Roman praetor_ gets the statue back here. I don't understand what Annabeth was thinking, working with the enemy like that. Even _if_ the Roman manages to bring it back- which is basically impossible- are we just gonna assume that peace will fall, no-one will fight?" Rachel put her marker on the table, expression tight.

"Annabeth knows what she's doing. And Lou is good friends with this praetor, she trusts her."

"Oh, great." Clarisse deadpanned. "That clears everything up for me." Rachel sighed, closing her eyes for the count of five.

"We have to try for peace. You may not get along with Louisa, but I think I speak for several of us when I say we trust her judgement. If she _and_ Annabeth think this praetor can bring the statue, then we have to hold out hope that she can. If we can't unite the Greeks and the Romans, the gods won't be healed and, without them, there's no way to kill the giants. And if we don't kill them-"

"Gaia wakes." Connor said, shoving a handful of Ritz crackers in his mouth. "Game over." He said, spraying crumbs. He worked his way through his mouthful. "Look," he said, swallowing and spraying Easy Cheese in his mouth, "Clarisse, Annabeth sent me a message from Tartarus. _Tartarus_, Clarisse. Anybody that can do that, whether you like them or not… well, I'm gonna listen to them." Clarisse opened her mouth to reply, but Coach's voice came out.

"Nico, wake up. We've got problems."

Nico sat up with a start, head-butting the satyr in the nose. Coach yelped, clamping his hands over his nose. "Jeez, kid, you've got a hard noggin!" Nico rubbed at his forehead- the Coach's nose hadn't been much softer, but he didn't voice that.

"Sorry, Coach." He blinked, squinting round. "What's going on?" He couldn't see any immediate threat. They were camped on a sunny lawn, in the middle of a public square. Orange marigolds bloomed all around them. Reyna was sleeping a few feet from him, curled up with her two dogs at her feet. Nico looked round, seeing children playing nearby, half a dozen people sipping coffee outside a pavement café, a few delivery vans were parked along the outskirts of the square. There were a few families, probably locals, enjoying the warm afternoon.

The square was paved with cobblestones, ringed with white stucco buildings and lemon trees. In the centre stood the well-preserved remains of a Roman temple. Nico looked up and his mouth went dry. "Well damn."

The Athena Parthenos lay sideways along the top of the temple's columns. She fitted almost perfectly lengthwise, but with Nike in her outstretched hand, she was a bit too wide. "Um… _how_?"

"You tell me." Coach grumbled, rubbing his bruised nose. "That's where we appeared. Nearly fell to our deaths. Lucky for you, I've got nimble hooves. You were unconscious, hanging in your harness like some stuck paratrooper. It took us a while to get you down." Nico decided not to picture that.

"Are we in Spain?" He asked.

"Portugal. You overshot. Did you know Reyna speaks Spanish? Not _Portuguese, _di Angelo, _Spanish_."

"Sorry."

"Anyway, while you were asleep, we found out this is Évora. It's a sleepy little place, no-one's bothered us and they've not noticed… that." He jabbed a thumb at the statue. The temple is called the Temple of Diana. And!" He beamed. "And, get this! People here _love_ my street performances. I've made sixteen euros!" He jostled his baseball cap. It jangled with change. Nico bit his lip.

"Street performances?"

"A little singing," Coach shrugged, "some martial arts. Bit of interpretive dance." Nico wasn't sure if he wanted to see that or not. "The Portuguese have good taste. I figured this was a decent place to lie low for a couple of days." Nico's eyes widened.

"Um, sorry, _days_?"

"Yeah, we didn't have much choice. In case you hadn't noticed, you've been working yourself to death with all that jumping. We tried to wake you last night, but…" He shook his head. "You've been asleep for thirty-six hours." When panic flitted through Nico's eyes, Coach's expression softened. "Hey, kid, you needed it." Nico's stomach growled and Coach suppressed a laugh. "That was _quite_ a statement in hedgehog. Food?"

"Um… first, what's the bad news? I mean, beside… that." Nico looked up at the statue. He was too hungry to think of a way around that right now.

"Oh, right." Coach pointed to a gated archway at the corner of the square. Partially concealed in the shadows, a glowing vaguely human figure lingered, outlined in grey flames. Its features were indistinct, but it seemed to beckon to Nico. "He showed up a few minutes ago. He doesn't get any closer and when I tried to go over, he disappeared. I think he wants to talk to you."

So Nico went to talk to the spirit. Coach had dubbed him 'Burning Man', but Nico didn't repeat it. Just in case the spirit didn't appreciate that. He kept his sword to hand. As he drew closer to the spirit, he felt it was simply a garden-variety wraith. A lost soul who had died in pain. But he didn't let himself get ahead of himself, not after the… Croatia embarrassment.

He stopped just before the ghost. It wore a monk's habit- sandals, woollen robes and a wooden cross around his neck. Grey flames twirled around him, burning his sleeves, blistering his face. He appeared to be frozen in the moment of his demise, playing on loop.

"You were burned alive." Nico said. "Probably in the Middle Ages?" The ghost's face twisted in a silent scream of agony, but his eyes were bored, even a little annoyed, as though the scream was an automatic reflex he had long tired of. "What… why did you want me?" It motioned for him to follow. Nico glanced back at Coach. The satyr simply shooed him away with his hands.

So Nico followed it. They wound through narrow cobblestone walkways, past courtyards with potted hibiscus trees and white buildings with butterscotch trim and wrought-iron balconies. No-one seemed to notice the ghost, but several people crossed the street or looked at Nico askance. He was used to that reaction. A small part of his brain heard Louisa swearing at them, couldn't help but smile a little at that.

The ghost led him across another public square. It disappeared into a large square church with white-washed walls. Nico hesitated a few paces from the steps. Churches didn't bother him, but this one radiated death.

He stuck his head in the doorway and then proceeded inwards. His focus fell on a side chapel; lit from within by an eerie golden light. He entered the chapel. At the far end stood an altar. The spirit knelt in prayer, but Nico was looking elsewhere. The walls were built of bones and skulls- thousands upon thousands, cemented to together. Columns of bones supported the vaulted ceiling.

"A beautiful room, isn't it?" Nico turned. A year ago, the sudden arrival of his father would have scared him out of his skin. Now, Nico had learned to control his heart rate and the knee-jerk reaction to aim for his father's groin. _Louisa really has been wearing off on me_, he thought. Hades was dressed like the monk, minus the flames. His black robes were tied at the waist with a simple white cord, his cowl pushed back. His dark hair was shorn close to the scalp, his eyes glittered like frozen tar.

"Maybe you could do your dining room in mediaeval monk skulls." Nico suggested. Hades squinted at him.

"I can't tell when you're joking."

"Why are you here, Father? _How_ are you here?"

"You are rather difficult to find, my son." Hades traced his fingers over the nearest column. "When Diocletian's sceptre exploded, it got my attention. No, don't worry about it. A relic that old, I'm impressed you got two uses out of it. The explosion allowed me to pinpoint your location. I wanted to speak to you in Pompeii, but it was… too Roman. So, here I am." He breathed in the stale air. "I am rather drawn to this place. Five thousand monks were used to build the Chapel of Bones. It serves as a reminder of how short life is. And how eternal death is." He sighed. "I only have a few moments though."

"So, tell me," Nico said, trying not to feel bitter about those 'few moments', "what do you want?"

"Can you entertain the notion that I might be here to help rather than because I want something?"

"I can entertain the notion you might be here for multiple reasons." Nico replied dryly.

"I suppose that's fair enough." Hades frowned. "I heard you seek information about Gaia's hunter. His name is Orion." Nico blinked. Since when did gods give such straightforward answers?

"Orion. Like the constellation." He said. Hades nodded. "Wasn't he… wasn't he a friend of Artemis or something?"

"He was. A giant born to oppose the twins, but- much like Artemis- he rejected his destiny. He sought to live on his own terms. He tried to live among the mortals as a huntsman for the king of Khios. But he ran into some… _trouble_ with the king's daughter. The king had Orion blinded and exiled."

"If Orion is blind-"

"He _was_. Shortly after his exile, Orion met Hephaestus. He took pity on the giant and built him new mechanical eyes, better than the originals. Orion became friends with Artemis. He was the first male ever allowed to join her Hunt." Hades rubbed at his jaw. "Things went wrong between them. I do not know all the details, but Orion was slain. Now, he has returned as a loyal son of Gaia, ready to do her bidding."

"How do we stop him?"

"You cannot. Your only hope is to outrun him, accomplish your quest before he reaches you. Apollo or Artemis _might_ be able to kill him, arrows against arrows, but the twins are in no condition to help you. Even now, Orion has your scent. You won't have the luxury of more rest between here and Camp Half-Blood." Nico's lungs seemed to shrink ten sizes.

"I need to get back."

"Yes." Hades agreed. "But there's more. Your sister…" He faltered. As always, the subject of Bianca lay between them like a bomb set to go off if either of them moved. "I mean Hazel. She has learned one of the Seven will die. She may try to stop this, but in doing so, she may lose sight of her priorities." Nico found his concern falling to Hazel first. Then Louisa. Then Jason. And then Percy and the others. They had saved him in Rome, had welcomed him aboard their ship. Beyond Louisa, Nico hadn't really allowed himself any friends, but the crew of the Argo II had been the closest he had ever come.

"Is Hazel alright?"

"For the moment."

"And the others? Who will die?"

"Even if I were certain, I could not say. I tell you this because you are my son. You know that some deaths cannot be prevented, _should not_ be prevented. When the time comes, you may need to act."

"And Lou?"

"She plays a risky game, whatever she does." Hades' expression softened, his tone became gentle. "My son, whatever happens, you've earned my respect. You brought honour to our house when we stood together against Kronos in Manhattan. You risked my wrath to help the Jackson boy. And you know how much Louisa grates on me." Nico smiled thinly. "But never before have I been so _harassed_ by one of my sons. _Percy this_ and _Percy that_. I nearly blasted you to cinders." Nico took a shallow breath. The walls began to tremble, dust trickling from the bones.

"I didn't do it all for him." He said. "I did it because the whole world was in danger." Hades allowed himself a small smile. "And it was him or Louisa." Nico reminded him. His father wrinkled his nose and Nico wondered what would have happened if Louisa had been the child of the first Great Prophecy?

"I can entertain the possibility that you acted for multiple reasons." Nico pursed his lips. Hades seemed mildly amused. "My point is, you and I rose to the aid of Olympus because you convinced me to let go of my anger. I would encourage you to do likewise. My children are so rarely happy. I… I would like to see you be an exception." Nico stared at him.

He was still processing his father's words when the monk rose. He approached, burning and silently screaming. "Ah." Hades said. "This is Brother Paloan. He suggests you leave now. You have very little time before the wolves arrive."

"Orion's pack?" Hades flicked his hand and Brother Paloan disappeared.

"My son, what you are attempting to do- shadow travel across the world, carrying the statue of Athena… it may destroy you."

"Thanks." Nico grumbled. Hades lay a gentle hand on his shoulder, only for a brief moment.

"I will see you again." Hades promised. "I will prepare a room for you at the palace, in case you do not survive. Perhaps your chambers would look good decorated with the skulls of monks."

"Now I can't tell if _you're_ joking." Hades' eyes glittered as he began to fade.

"Then perhaps we are alike in some important ways." He vanished. Nico looked around the room, thousands of hollow eye sockets staring back at him. He turned on his heel and hurried out, hoping he remembered how to get back.

* * *

Reyna was awake upon his return. He was quick to explain about Orion. They were eating dinner from a nearby pavement café as he spoke. The Athena Parthenos was where he had left it. Coach was entertaining the locals with tap dancing and martial arts. Every so often, he sang into his megaphone, though no one seemed to understand him.

Nico was tempted to shove the megaphone over Coach's head. For someone reason, it blurted out Darth Vader quotes or yelled 'THE COW GOES MOO!'. Nico gave them the full story as they sat on the lawn, eating, from his dreams to his meeting with Hades. He held back a few personal details about his father. He gave a better explanation of Orion and his wolves, to which Reyna frowned.

"Most wolves are friendly to Romans. I've never heard stories about Orion with a hunting pack." Nico swallowed the last of his sandwich, reaching for a pastry.

"Only problem," Coach said, stuffing a magazine of _Guns & Ammo_ in his bag, "is that." He nodded up at the statue. "Gonna be great fun hauling you guys and your gear up there." Nico tried a pastry, crispy, sugary and buttery. They looked like spiral doughnuts and the lady at the café had called them farturas. He knew a couple of demigods that would have made jokes out of that name. He expected as much of Louisa, she was never going to change, as persistent as her father's realm. Percy, however, seemed more juvenile as Nico got older. Even though they were twins and there was a three year age gap between them and Nico, sometimes he could only see them as what they were- complete opposites. Louisa's sense of humour was often brash and self-depreciating. Percy's was childish, but equal parts endearing and annoying.

Then there were the times Percy was deadly serious. Looking up to Nico from the chasm in Rome- _The other side, Nico! Lead them there, promise me!_

"So," Reyna's voice jarred Nico from his thoughts, "will Camp Half-Blood wait until the first or will they attack?"

"We have to hope they wait. We can't… _I _can't get the statue back any faster."

"And you're sure Clarisse said Mellie was OK?"

"Yes, Coach. She's looking after her." Nico assured. Coach breathed a sigh of relief.

"I don't like what Grover said about Gaia whispering to the nymphs and dryads. If the nature spirits turn evil… that's not going to be pretty." He grimaced. Reyna bit into her pastry. Her chain mail shone in the afternoon sun.

"I wonder about these wolves…" She said. "Is it possible we've misunderstood the message? Lupa has been very quiet; perhaps she is sending help. The wolves could be hers, to _defend_ us from Orion and his pack."

"Maybe," Nico agreed tentatively, "but wouldn't Lupa be busy with the war between camps? I thought she'd send wolves to help your legion." Reyna shook her head.

"Wolves aren't front-line fighters. I don't think she would help Octavian. At best, her wolves could be patrolling Camp Jupiter, but I don't know…" She crossed her legs at the ankles, the iron tips of her combat boots glinted. "I haven't had any luck contacting Hylla. It's… unsettling that both the wolves _and_ the Amazons have gone quiet. If something has happened on the West Coast… I fear the only hope for either camp lies with us. We _must_ return the statue and soon." She looked to Nico. Her expression was carefully arranged, but he could see in her eyes, the placement of this great burden. On his shoulders.

Nico tried to hush his nerves. He wasn't mad at Reyna. He kind of liked her; he could _definitely_ see why Louisa liked her.

However, he couldn't help but think of his last great accomplishment. The Greeks had welcomed him, had been so grateful, for his input in the war against Kronos and his forces. He had essentially changed the tide of the battle and for a week, they had liked him for it. Then his welcome wore thin. They would jump when he walked up behind them. He would melt from the shadows at the campfire and startle somebody. He would see the discomfort in their eyes. _Are you still here_? They seemed to ask. _Why are you here_?

Then Percy and Annabeth had started dating.

Nico set down his fartura. The taste was suddenly bitter in his mouth. He didn't hate Annabeth. He wanted to, but he couldn't. She had never overlooked him, never avoided him. Why couldn't she be a horrible person? It would have made things easier.

"Nico, how can we help?" Reyna asked.

"I'm not sure. You've already let me rest as much as possible." He hesitated. "Maybe you could lend me your strength again? The next jump is the longest. We need to get across the Atlantic."

"You can do it." Reyna promised. "Once we're back in the US, we should encounter less monsters. I might be able to get retired legionnaires to help along the eastern seaboard. They are obliged to help any Roman demigod who calls on them."

"That's if Octavian hasn't already won them over." Coach grunted. "If he has, you might find yourself arrested for treason." Reyna's dogs sprang to their feet, startling Coach backwards.

In the distance, howls pierced the air. Wolves lunged from every direction. Huge black beasts fell in, leaping from rooftops, seeping from shadows. Their camp was surrounded faster than Nico could stand. The alpha stepped forward, growling. He stood on his haunches and began to transform. He became a tall, wiry man. His face was haggard, his eyes glowed red. A crown of finger bones circled his greasy black hair.

"Ah, little satyr. We meet again. And you have more friends for us!"


	7. Chapter 7

**To RandomFanAuthor- FART-NUTS! I am British with Irish ancestry. Probably got family in Australia, but I've never been- _spiders_. It was definitely the longest chapter of the story, could have been worse! And when I was writing more often, one of my older stories, I think I _did_ make Nico bi, or at the very least hinted at it. At the time, we didn't have canon-gay Nico, gods that was AGES ago! But no, no ReynaXNico, I personally got a sibling vibe from them! Besides, what about ReynaXLou? :P **

**To JasonGraceIsDead- yes it does! ^_^**

* * *

"CUT THAT OUT! GIVE ME TWENTY PUSH-UPS! PUT SOME CLOTHES ON!"

"LEO VALDEZ, I SWEAR TO GODS, I'M GONNA KICK THAT LITTLE BASTARD BACK TA AFRICA!"

"Nooo, leave Buford alone! _Where did you get an axe_?" They heard Leo swearing in Spanish, from where they were sat in the mess hall. He sprinted past with Buford in his arms. Louisa was few paces behind, an axe over her head, gone just as quickly. Percy sighed into his lunch. Mini-Coach yelled at her over Leo's shoulder.

"SQUARE UP, CUPCAKE!"

"Are you sure you're twins?" Frank asked.

"Unfortunately." Percy huffed. He kissed Annabeth's temple and left. A minute later, he walked past, Louisa over one shoulder and her axe held in front of him so she couldn't get it.

"Let-me-go!" She demanded, wiggling and drumming her fists on his back. "I was only gonna kill the table!"

"Then why were you aiming for Leo's legs?"

"He got in the way!" From above deck, they heard Leo calling his thanks down to Percy. Frank looked to Annabeth. She hadn't even looked up from her soup, blowing gently on a spoonful.

"I know you're going to tell me I'll get used to it," he said, "but how long does that take?"

"Depends on exposure." She replied simply. There was a crash somewhere down the hall. Louisa cackled victoriously and rushed past, thankfully axe-less. Percy returned, throwing his hands up as Frank looked at him questioningly.

"I don't get paid enough for this." He said, plonking back down in his seat. He tore at a slice of bread, absent-mindedly dipping it in Annabeth's soup, munching on it distractedly. "I'm going to have a stern word with my mother when we get back. I feel like I should have had some warning." He dipped his bread in her soup again. Annabeth looked at him, but he hadn't noticed yet.

"Um, Percy?" Frank smiled nervously.

"Mm?"

"How about a warning to leave your girlfriend's lunch alone?" Percy started. He dropped the last of his bread. Straight into her soup.

"Love you." He squeaked. Annabeth continued to stare at him, slowly moving her bowl away and guarding it with her arm. She didn't relent until Percy went back to eating his own food, but he was oddly contrite after that.

Leo's voice crackled over the intercom.

"Good news and bad news." He said. "The good news is we'll be at Sparta in about ten minutes. The bad news…" He hummed dubiously. "I think Lou just pissed off a bunch of venti. So, uh, Jason, my main man, would you be so kind, please and thank you?"

"Your sister is a delinquent." Annabeth remarked.

"Yep." Percy nodded. Annabeth pushed her bowl away and stood.

"Well, I'm going to go and find Piper. You may want to consider finding a new sister."

"Way ahead of you."

"I heard that!" Louisa appeared in the doorway. She held both hands up, aiming a certain gesture at her brother and Annabeth. "'N' I didn't piss off any venti. _They_ pissed _me_ off." And with that, she was gone. Frank whistled lowly.

"Yeeeah, she's not right in the head."

"What was your first clue?"

* * *

Piper regretted telling Percy about her dream. The giants had gathered in the Acropolis. They were going to spill demigod blood in the Pantheon. When she finished, the ship's toilets exploded.

"No way are you two going down there alone." Percy defied. Leo ran past, waving a wrench. He stopped upon seeing Percy.

"You're telling me it _wasn't_ Lou?" Percy ignored him. Water ran down the gangway. Louisa splashed her way through, thumping Leo on the arm in greeting as she passed. The hull rumbled as more pipes burst and sinks overflowed. Leo looked ready to tear his hair out. "Not the plumbing, stop destroying the plumbing!"

"Oy, fuckface." Louisa stood on her toes to poke her brother in the head. "What's happened?" Piper pressed her lips together. She figured Percy hadn't meant to cause so much damage, but his glowering expression made her want to jump ship.

"We'll be alright. Piper saw us going down there, so that's what needs to happen."

"Um, hello, is anyone gonna fill me in or do I have ta start drownin' ya'll in potty water?"

"No, no drowning." Annabeth smacked Louisa's hand down and explained. Percy folded his arms over his chest, still glaring at Piper. Leo was clattering about, declaring a victorious 'Aha!' once he had switched the water off. "And there's a giant that can kill the Fates."

"Ugh, that sounds so nice right about now." Percy's glare shifted to her. Annabeth glared too. Piper stared incredulously. "What?" Louisa hunched her shoulders. Even Leo ducked his back out the door to shake his head at her. "Fuck off, Valdez." He grinned and disappeared. "Again, _what_?"

"Uh, end of the world?" Percy prompted.

"Destruction of all humankind." Annabeth added.

"We lose." Piper finished. Louisa looked from one to the other without moving her head.

"Did… sarcasm miss you people or somethin'? At least I'm not the reason we're standin' in literal shit."

"It's not _literal shit_." Percy grumbled. Louisa looked at him expectantly and he sighed. "It's water, I'll sort it."

"Ya better. Leo's gonna throw somethin' at ya head 'n' I ain't gonna stop him."

"Thanks, Lou!" Leo called cheerily from the next room. Percy frowned in the direction of his voice.

"Anyway," Percy sighed, "who's this Mimas dude? Another giant?"

"I guess so," Piper shrugged, "Porphyrion called him _our brother._"

"And a bronze statue surrounded by fire." Percy said. "And those… other things you mentioned. Mackies?"

"Makhai." Piper corrected. "I think the word means 'battle' in Greek, but I don't know how that applies exactly."

"That's my point!" Percy exasperated. "We don't know what's down there, I'm going with you."

"No." Annabeth put a hand on his arm. "If the giants want our blood, the _last_ thing we need is a boy and a girl going down there together. Remember? For their big sacrifice?"

"Well, I'll get Jason-"

"Nah, he ain't allowed nowhere."

"Frank then." Percy corrected. "And we'll go."

"Seaweed Brain, are you _implying_ that two _boys_ can handle this better than two _girls_?"

"Oh snap." Louisa laughed. "She's got ya there, bro." Percy glowered at her. Annabeth kissed him, ignoring Louisa's usual resultant mock-barf.

"We'll be back before you know it." She promised. Piper followed her upstairs, looking back over her shoulder at Louisa. Louisa simply waved her on.

"You've got some cleanin' up ta do." She told her brother.

"I know." He muttered. "I know."

* * *

They spent almost an hour helping Leo clear the water and reset the plumbing. Percy was sullen the entire time. His scowl stopped Leo from making jokes. Well, jokes that he could hear, anyway. Louisa caught the brunt of his toilet humour, but he always seemed to dash off for something when Percy got within earshot.

Leo didn't let them leave until he was happy everything was back in working order and dry. He cheekily waved his wrench at Percy and put him under strict instructions of no more floods for the rest of the day. Percy stared at him, but whatever he was going to say was cut short.

"He'll be good." Louisa said. "Can't say the same about me though."

"Oh," Leo rested his wrench on his shoulder, his other hand on his hip, "I wouldn't expect anything less of you." He shone a lopsided smile at her. Louisa made a face and flicked him. Percy turned and walked off in the directions of the cabins. Leo lowered his wrench. "Is he… OK?"

"Eh." Louisa grimaced. "He don't like Annabeth goin' too far. He's, uh," she rubbed at the back of her neck, "he ain't been havin' easy nights. Nightmares 'n' shit." She sighed. "Annabeth ain't been much better, but she don't obliterate plumbin'."

"I bet she could."

"Oh, for sure. Anyhoo, I'm gonna go 'n' keep an eye on him. Give us a shout if ya need anythin'." Leo nodded his thanks, casting his eyes about in case he had missed any leaks.

Louisa found Percy on his bunk. He had set the pillows against the headboard and was reclining, staring at the foot of his bed. Louisa did what all kind and caring sisters do- she sat on his shins. "Sup." She grinned when he jolted. It took him a moment to place her, sighing when he did. His shoulders slumped with relief.

"Get off."

"Nah."

"Lou?"

"Mm?"

"You're an ass."

"Yeah, I know. You ain't comfortable."

"I'm very sorry to disappoint."

"So it seems." She wiggled back, sitting on his bed with her back to the wall with her legs over her previous sitting spot. She crossed her legs at the ankles, folded her hands on her stomach and looked at him.

"What?" He said.

"What?" She repeated, smiling simply when he rolled his eyes. He stayed quiet. Louisa didn't move, other than jiggling her leg or drumming her fingers on her thighs, her arms, the backs of her hands. She became fidgety quicker than he did. She eventually used a bit of water to pick up her pack of markers from the floor, whisking them into her hand. She shifted round, until she sat facing him, parallel to him, and began drawing on the walls. Percy watched her without actually taking in what she was drawing. At some point, she held a blue marker out to him. He took it on reflex and began drawing his end of the wall too.

As they drew, he began to talk. He told her everything, about Tartarus. Some of it she knew already, either from what she had experienced, his recent nightmares or bits he had mentioned so far anyway. But this time, he went into greater detail. He described the terrain, the atmosphere. The monsters. The fire they had to drink. About Bob. Small Bob. Damasen. He described the manifestation of Tartarus himself. He left his tale of Misery until last.

While he spoke, his tone had been flat and detached. Almost as if he wanted to get everything off his mind without admitting to himself that it was _his_ mind he was trying to clear. His tone changed when he asked her: "Have you ever done anything like that?" He asked quietly. She glanced at him sidelong. His hands shook. Tears fell unchecked. "Controlled something that wasn't water?" She looked at his drawings. Terrible, sloppy, smudged, but she could see what they were. While she had been drawing birds or sea creature or Festus or their friends or Reyna, he had been drawing Tartarus. She saw two faces, Bob and Damasen, she guessed. A cat- Small Bob. Saw the Doors of Death. "Lou?"

"Yes." She said stiffly. She offered no elaboration. Percy's fingers trembled as they hovered over a drawing of a hut.

"I don't like Annabeth going." He said. "I need to know she's OK, but I can't do that… I can't do that if she's not here." He started drawing again, whisking the pen back and forth in wild long lines that overlapped each other repeatedly. "When Piper said about the giant that could destroy the Fates… I… I- A part of me was thinking the same as you. _That would be nice_." Lines began branching off his scribbling, taking the shape of some wicked landscape. "I- I know it's bad. I know." He nodded, seemingly to convince himself more than her. "But… is it so bad to just want a _normal_ life?"

"After all the shit you guys have been through?" Louisa shook her head. "Nah. I'd be the same." Her eyes fell on her drawing of Leo, boss-eyed and sticking his tongue out. "I'd personally like ta slap the Fates anyway." From the corner of her eye, she saw him nod in agreement. "But it ain't the right thing ta do."

"Yeah." He sighed. They were silent for almost a minute. He added mounds onto his landscape, ones with silhouettes curled up inside. He moved his arm and Louisa saw a small drawing of a frail woman, virtually a stick person, with scraggly lines for hair and holding a solid blue disc in her lap.

"Water is pretty much everywhere." She said. "It's ours. But we've got more than that, remember?" She looked at him, watching the side of his face carefully. "Dad's the gods of earthquakes. Storms. Hurricanes. Horses, he made horses, remember?"

"I can make my own hurricane." Percy said vaguely.

"I know."

"And I… did cause an earthquake once." He paused. "Which blew up a volcano."

"Yeah, I heard. Ya woke up some big bad Titan dude 'n' disappeared. Like the dickhead you are."

"That wasn't planned." He defied softly. "Bitchface." He added.

"Not by us, no."

"I don't like my powers." He said. "People get hurt."

"I know." Louisa sighed. "I can help ya control 'em better. But… a lot of our power, it… it comes from emotions." She shot him a sideways smile. "Like blowing up toilets."

"I didn't mean to."

"I know."

"Leo doesn't like me very much."

"I don't think anyone appreciates blown up toilets." She tipped her head to the side, contemplating her drawing and chewing on the end of her pen. Percy had started on a lower section of wall. Louisa saw another face coming into being. She eventually recognised it as their mother and smiled. "Feelin' better?" She asked. He wiped the back of his hand on his face.

"I feel… less confused? But I don't… I don't think… Tartarus might sit with me for a while."

"Could be worse."

"How?"

"Octavian."

"Oh no, the horror." He did his best to look scared, but his heart wasn't fully behind it. He finished his drawing of Sally. "Do you think they'll be much longer?"

"They'll be fine, Percy."

"I know, but… I wanted to help."

"I know, that's your thing. But they _will_ be OK."

"What makes you so sure?"

"'Cos I'll kick the shit out of 'em if they ain't." He blinked at her, eventually- finally- smiling.

"Aww, ever supportive." Louisa capped her marker and bounced it off his head. "Rude."

"Wanna spar?" She asked. He took a few attempts to put the lid back on his marker. It would have been easier had he peeled his eyes away from his drawings, but he got there in the end. She nudged his thigh with her knee. "Oy, wanna spar?"

"OK."

"I'm winnin'."

"Uh, no, I won last time."

"You threw Jell-O at me 'n' I nearly broke my neck slippin' on it. That don't count."

"Only counts when you do it?"

"Duh."


	8. Chapter 8

**To RandomFanAuthor- I know some of my Irish family, generations ago, were evicted from their homes in the famine. They went to America, except for great-great-something-something-aunt and one of her kids, who had some illness and wasn't allowed in to America. She went back and found refuge in the church and won a lawsuit to get her house and land back, which was unheard of then, like, oh my god no women can't own anything blah blah blah times. ANYWAY, maybe try the Bostonian accent, it's a little closer to New York than Scotland :P And maybe! Maybe not! Who knows? And thank you! I've been rather proud of that scene for a while, glad to see it's appreciated! **

**To JasonGraceIsDead- There maaaaaay be more LeLou, there maaaaaaay not be! It's a surprise!**

* * *

Nico's brilliant response to the wolf man got him a little stick later, but in the moment, it just made sense. "You're not Orion." He blurted. He could feel the weight of Reyna and Coach's bewildered gaze on him, just for a moment, and then the grey man laughed. They all looked back to him.

"Indeed not. Orion has merely employed us to assist in his hunt. I am-"

"Lycaon." Reyna finished for him. "The first werewolf."

"Ah, Reyna Ramírez-Arellano, praetor of Rome. One of Lupa's whelps! I'm pleased you recognise me. No doubt, I am the stuff of nightmares."

"The stuff of my indigestion, maybe." She retorted. From her belt, she produced a foldable camping knife. With a flick, she released the blade and the wolves snarled, backing away. "I never travel without a silver weapon."

"And how do you expect to keep a dozen wolves and their king at bay with a _pocketknife_?" Lycaon sneered. "I heard you were brave. I didn't realise you were foolhardy." Reyna's dogs crouched either side of her, ready to launch themselves. Coach gripped his baseball bat, though he didn't look anxious to swing for once. Nico reached for his sword.

"Don't bother," Coach muttered, "these guys are only hurt by silver or fire. We met them at Pikes Peak, they're annoying."

"And I remember you, Gleeson Hedge." Lycaon's eyes glowed lava red. "My pack will be delighted to tear you apart for dinner."

"Bring it on. The Hunters of Artemis are on their way right now, just like last time! And that there is a temple of _Diana_, you idiot. You're on their home turf!" The wolves snarled, retreated a few paces. Some looked nervously to the rooftops. Their king, however, just glared at Coach.

"A nice try, but I'm afraid that temple has been misnamed. I passed through here during Roman times, it's a temple dedicated to the Emperor Augustus. Regardless, I've been much more careful since last we met. If the Hunters were close by, I would know." Nico scowled. No escape plan had presented itself to him, their only effective weapon was a pocketknife, the statue was still thirty feet above them, the sun wasn't due to set for hours and they needed _shadows_ to shadow travel.

"So you've got us," he said, "what are you waiting for?"

"Nico di Angelo," Lycaon considered him hungrily, "son of Hades. I've heard of you. I'm sorry I can't kill you promptly, but I promised Orion to detain you until he arrives. He should be here in a few moments. Once he's done with you, I shall spill your blood and mark this place as my territory!"

"Demigod blood." Nico gritted his teeth. "The blood of Olympus."

"Spilled upon the ground, especially _sacred_ ground, demigod blood has many uses. With the proper incantations, it can awaken monsters or even gods. It can cause new life to spring up or make a place barren for generations. Sadly, _your_ blood will not wake Gaia herself. That honour is reserved for your friends aboard the Argo II. But don't worry, son of Hades. Your death will be almost as painful as theirs!" He beamed, like this was splendid news. The grass died under Nico's feet. Marigolds withered and crumpled. _Barren ground_, he thought, _sacred ground_.

Thousands of skeletons made the Chapel of Bones. Hundreds of people were burned alive in this square by the Inquisition. How many dead lay beneath his feet?

"Coach," he said, "you can climb?"

"Uh, _duh_. I'm half _goat_. Of course I can climb!"

"Get up to the statue and secure the rigging. Make a rope ladder and drop it down for us."

"Uh, the wolves-"

"Reyna, you and your dogs will have to cover our retreat." The praetor nodded once, holding her knife at the ready. Lycaon howled, laughing.

"Retreat to where, son of Hades? There is no escape! You cannot kill us!"

"True," Nico hunched his shoulders, "but I can slow you down." He threw out his hands. The ground exploded.

He hadn't expected it to work so well. He had animated rat skeletons in the past, unearthed the odd human skull. Nothing prepared him for the wall of bones erupting skyward. Hundreds of femurs, ribs and fibulas ensnared the wolves, clashed together in a spiky briar patch of human remains. Most of the wolves found themselves trapped. Some twisted in their cages, snapping their teeth as they tried to break free. Their king wasn't much better off, cocooned in a cage of rib bones, but that didn't stop his tirade of curses.

"I will rip the flesh from your limbs!" He roared.

"Coach, go!" The satyr raced towards the temple. He reached the top of the podium in a single leap and scrambled up the left pillar. Two wolves broke free. Reyna threw her knife and impaled one in the neck. Her dogs pounced on the other. Aurum's fangs and claws had no effect on the wolf's hide, but Argentum brought the beast down.

His head was still bent sideways from the fight in Pompeii. His left eye was still missing, but he still sunk his fangs into the wolf's neck. The wolf dissolved into a puddle of shadow. Reyna scooped up silver change from Coach's baseball cap, grabbing a roll of tape from his supply bag and taping the coins to her sword.

"Go!" She pushed Nico on. "I'll cover you!" The wolves' struggling was beginning to crack the bone thicket, it crumbled in places. Lycaon punched his right arm free and began tearing at his cage.

"I will flay you alive!" He promised. "I will add your pelt to my cloak!"

"Tempting, but no!" Nico ran, snatching up Reyna's pocketknife. He wasn't a mountain goat, he wasn't a satyr. But he found a set of stairs at the back of the temple and sprinted to the top, taking the steps two at a time. He reached the base of the column. He saw Coach, precariously balanced at the feet of the Athena Parthenos, unravelling ropes and knotting a ladder. "Hurry!" Nico shouted.

"Oh, _really_?" Coach retorted. "I thought we had all the time in the world!"

"Sarcasm later!" Nico called back. Down in the square, more wolves had freed themselves. Reyna swatted them aside with her modified sword, but a handful of change wasn't going to hold off a pack of werewolves for long. Her golden dog snapped and snarled in frustration, his attacks useless, while his brother sank his claws into the throat of another wolf. But the silver dog was already damaged. He couldn't carry on for much longer.

Lycaon now had both arms free, began ripping at the ribcage restraints around his legs. Nico was out of tricks. The wall of bones had drained him, he felt lightheaded and a little queasy. His remaining energy _had_ to go into their escape, but he needed a shadow to-

_A shadow_.

He looked at the silver pocketknife in his hand. An idea came to him, something almost as stupid and crazy as getting Percy to swim in the River Styx or Louisa to go within a few feet of a snake. "Reyna!" He yelled. "Get up here!" She slammed her weapon into a wolf's head and ran. She flicked her sword and it stretched into a javelin. She used this to launch herself up like a pole-vaulter, landing neatly next to Nico.

"What's the plan?" She asked, not even out of breath.

"Show off." He grumbled. A knotted rope fell from above.

"Climb, silly non-goat people!"

"Go," Nico instructed, "and hold on tight to the rope." He could see a protest forming in her eyes, quickly quelled by realisation. His idea was mental, absolutely _mental_; Reyna didn't question it. Her javelin shrunk back into a sword and she sheathed it. She began to climb quickly, unhindered by her armour or their supplies. Aurum and Argentum were nowhere to be seen. Nico hoped they had retreated. Lycaon broke free, howling victoriously.

"You will suffer, son of Hades!"

"Come and get me then!" Nico called, adjusting his grip on the knife. Lycaon sprang through the air, claws extended, fangs bared. Nico twisted his free hand around the rope, concentrating. As the wolf king came towards him, Nico thrust the silver knife into his chest. The wolves howled.

Lycaon's claws sank into Nico's arms. His fangs stopped less than an inch from Nico's face. Despite the pain tearing through his arms, Nico pressed the knife in deeper. "Good dog." He smirked. Lycaon's eyes rolled back in his head. He dissolved into a pool of shadows.

Several things happened at once. The pack of wolves surged forward, howling for their lost master. From a nearby rooftop, a thunderous voice blasted across the square.

"STOP THEM!" Nico heard the sound of a large bow being drawn taut. He sunk into Lycaon's shadow. His friends and the Athena Parthenos fell with him. They slipped into a cold ether. Nico had no idea where they would come out.


	9. Chapter 9

**To RandomFanAuthor- My family history is mental! I love it! :D And thank you! I didn't really think about it, in regards to Nico thinking of Lou when he stabbed Lycaon, but there will be other things, don't worry! As for Leoisa (and this goes to JasonGraceIsDead as well) I am planning a WHOLE thing after the HoO rewrite series, it's gonna be great, you'll love it! (I hope!) **

**To JasonGraceIsDead- do you mean like a bunch of Leoisa one-shots? I can do, might have some stuff already written, I'll have a look!**

* * *

"So, you're sayin' that _Annabeth_ thinks too much?"

"She does a bit, yeah." Piper agreed. "But it wasn't a situation to think in, Lou."

"Huh. 'N' did ya _really_ have ta give up the Cornucopia? The hotdogs are better from that than they are the magic plates."

"Hey!" Leo protested. "There's nothing wrong with my magic plates!"

"I told ya ta install a proper hot dog dispenser!"

"Lou, focus." Percy elbowed her. Louisa mumbled rather unapologetic apologies. Piper and Annabeth finished the story, but the heroics fell to Piper this time. They had the makhai on their side now. "They said," Piper said, "that they would help us finish the cure and that I could call on them once; 'destruction, waste and carnage shall answer'."

"Cool!" Louisa grinned. "But also stealin' my _thing_."

"It's _not_ your _thing_." Annabeth rolled her eyes. Louisa glared at her, insulted. Percy patted her on the head and she sulked quietly. Annabeth looked to Leo. "Plot a course for Delos, that's our next stop." Leo nodded and disappeared to the helm. Louisa tapped her foot, flailed her hands.

"Right," she said, "ya'll borin' me now." And with that, she rambled off, humming off-key. Annabeth reached out to grasp Percy's hand, smiling at the familiarity of his warmth. Piper pushed her hair back from her face, positively glowing with her victory.

"I'm sorry I snapped at you." Percy said, biting his lip worriedly. Piper smiled at him.

"I get it," she assured, "just try not to flood the whole ship next time." Percy's eyebrows went up.

"_Next time_?"

* * *

The next time was the following day. Except it wasn't Percy flooding the ship. It wasn't even Louisa, which Leo found most surprising. She looked half-tempted to throw him overboard, but she and Percy were rather pre-occupied. Skyscraper tall waves battered and teetered the ship at random, stomach-dropping angles. The front crossbows and half the port railing were lost when one of these waves slammed the forward deck. The sails were mere tatters now. Lightning blazoned the sky, striking the ocean. The rain blasted horizontally from clouds so dark, it could have easily been night.

Leo had tied himself to the console with a bungee cord, but with every wave, he was tossed back and forth like a human paddleball. Piper and Annabeth were trying their utmost to save the rigging, working in silent tandem. Jason dragged himself from his deathbed to see what was going on. Hazel was bowing over a toilet, hating the ocean more than she ever thought possible. Gorilla-Frank swung upside down off the starboard, untangling broken oars. Festus spewed fire helplessly at the rain.

Only the twins were making progress. Percy was keeping the ship from capsizing. He summoned huge fists of water to slam into larger waves before they could reach the deck. Louisa was sliding back and forth on the deck, well within her element. Jason wasn't sure what she was doing, but Percy was watching her with amusement behind his concentration. Jason grabbed his shoulder.

"Is she OK?" He yelled in Percy's ear, hardly hearing himself over the storm. Percy nodded. He didn't seem shocked to see Jason, didn't give him orders to go back downstairs. Jason realised that he and Louisa were soaked through, their concentration lying elsewhere. Louisa whipped past them, grinning broadly. Green energy crackled along her arms and she threw her hands up. The clouds retreated; for a few seconds, the rain softened and the winds died, but whatever power had brought on the storm returned with thunder.

Percy pointed over the side. "What's causing it?" Jason asked. Percy tapped his ears, shaking his head with a smile. He made a diving motion with his hand, tapped Jason on the chest. Jason beamed. "You want me to go?" Finally, someone was treating him like regular, uninjured Jason. "Happy to!" Jason nodded. "But I can't breathe underwater!" Louisa crashed into them. She messed Jason's hair. Percy tapped her cheek to gain her attention. Her smile dimmed and she looked at him quizzically. Whatever passed between them had him grin broadly and her shoulders slump. She tipped her head back, complaining wordlessly.

_Fine_, Jason saw her say, _whatever_. She shooed them away. Percy ran to starboard, shoving away another wave and vaulting overboard. Piper and Annabeth looked over in shock. Louisa gave them a thumbs-up, Jason sent an _OK _sign.

He looked up to the sky, stumbling as the ship rocked. Louisa held her hands out and the water pushed them back into moderate balance. Jason patted her shoulder. He threw his hand out, searching the sky. Hundreds of venti screamed and swirled in wild cacophony. His senses fell on one, bursting with rage and energy. He grinned and pulled it down, more powerful than the others. Above, the others seemed to calm a little.

Jason looked to Louisa. Her smile was gone, grim determination furrowing her brow. She nodded once at Jason and he followed Percy, encased in a tornado of his own. As if encouraged by the boys' disappearance, the storm swelled. Piper and Annabeth were desperately clinging onto the rigging. Frank scrambled on the deck, as his human self, soaked and shivering. They all looked imploringly to Louisa and she sighed.

She tried her brother's techniques, but as the waves grew and the winds made her hearing completely numb with force, she had to do something else. Annabeth slipped, Frank and Piper scrambled for her. They clung onto the rigging, huddling together.

Louisa closed her eyes, holding her arms out either side of her. Piper's arm wrapped around Annabeth's neck as her feet fell from under her. Frank grabbed her by the wrist and pulled her back up. Annabeth was sure her windpipe had been crushed, but there wasn't much she could do about it now. They were watching Louisa, Piper may have screamed at her, but they could hardly hear their own thoughts.

Louisa's hands twisted sharply into fists, her eyes snapped open. Green energy exploded from her with a soft _boom_. It slammed into the storm, snapping and bursting, pushing the onslaught back. Frank, Piper and Annabeth settled on the deck with a thump. The ship rocked slowly, gradually settling. They could hear Hazel groaning below deck. Leo struggled to his feet, squinting around suspiciously.

The storm still raged around them. Piper gaped. "She made the storm go round." She breathed.

"What?"

"It's… something she told me when she was hallucinating one time, but… wow." They marvelled at the storm around them, safely encased in a flickering green orb that covered the entire ship.

"Lou, you OK?"

"Fantastic." Louisa replied through gritted teeth, brow creasing. Her arms shook, her jaw clenched. Within the minute, her nose was bleeding. Her hair stuck to her face, glaring at the storm above. Leo unclipped himself.

"Frank, come on!" He called, yelling and rubbing at his ears. Frank pushed himself up and they hurried off to do repairs. Annabeth and Piper went back to the rigging. Louisa coughed.

"Mizzenmast!" She shouted. Ropes snapped into place, tattered sails adjusted with louds creaks, dripping water everywhere.

"You couldn't have done that earlier?" Piper protested.

"Kinda had my hands full, Pipes." Louisa groaned. "Go 'n' help them." She nodded in the direction of Frank and Leo.

"Will you-?"

"I'm fine, just go."

* * *

Beneath the churning waves, Percy and Jason swam side by side. Jason was amazed at the underwater realm, but was distracted by flashes of green lights rippling past them every few seconds. The lights stirred the water into multiple frenzies, sending power to the storm above. Jason looked up, stopping short. Percy, upon realising he wasn't swimming by him, stopped too. He followed Jason's gaze.

"What's that?" Jason asked, surprised how clear his voice sounded.

"That'd be Lou." He smiled. "We'll have to be quick, she won't hold that for long." He turned back, more green light shooting past them. Percy swam straight towards it. All Jason could do was follow him, hardly seeing anything beyond the glow of their swords. Piper had told him that Louisa had been able to see perfectly well and had been able to track currents and temperatures. Percy must have been no different.

Jason's ventus crackled and roared, fighting his will to escape. The smell of ozone made him feel light-headed, but he pressed on, keeping his tornado together.

He wasn't sure how far down they had gone, but suddenly the darkness lessened. Soft white luminous patches, like schools of jellyfish, floated before them. They settled on the seafloor, standing in patches of glowing fields of algae surrounding the ruins of a palace. Silt swirled through the empty courtyards with abalone floors. In the middle, a citadel stretched upwards, larger than Grand Central Station. Its walls were embedded with pearls, the golden dome of its roof cracked like an egg.

"Atlantis?" Jason asked. Percy shook his head.

"Nah, dude, that's a myth." It took a moment for Percy to realise Jason was looking at him sceptically.

"Um, we deal with _myths_."

"No, no. I mean a _made-up_ myth, not our usual true myths."

"I now see why Annabeth is the brains."

"Shut up, Grace." Percy jumped from the floor, Jason grinned and followed. They floated through the broken dome, down into the shadows. "This place looks _really_ familiar." Percy squinted round. Jason looked too, but- once again- he couldn't see past the light of his blade. The green light flashed directly below them, searing Jason's eyes.

"Ow." He complained. Percy grabbed his arm and they fell like stones to the marble floor. When his vision cleared, he saw they weren't alone.

A twenty foot tall woman stood before them. She wore a flowing green dress, cinched at the waist with a belt of abalone shells. Her skin glowed like the algae fields above. Her hair swayed and glowed like jellyfish tendrils. Her face was unearthly beautiful- her eyes too bright, her features too delicate, her smile too cold, as if she had been studying human smiles and not quite mastered it. Something about her seemed familiar, niggling at the back of Jason's mind.

Her hands lay on a disc of polished green metal, roughly six feet in diameter, perched on a bronze tripod. She turned the disc like a steering wheel, a shaft of green light rocketed upward. The water churned and the walls of the old palace trembled violently. Shards from the domed ceiling broke and wafted to the seabed. "You're making the storm." Jason said.

"Yes I am!" She smiled coldly. Her voice was melodic, yet it carried a strange echo, as if it extended past the human range of hearing.

"OK, I'll bite," Percy said, "who are you and what do you want?"

"Why, I am your sister, Perseus Jackson! And I wanted to meet you before you died!" She looked up. "A shame our other sister couldn't come down too, she's very much like me." _That's_ what Jason was looking for- something in this woman's eyes, something in her smile, he had seen it on Louisa. At Camp Jupiter, when she went for Octavian; at Camp Half-Blood when she realised what the gods had done this time.

Jason looked over at Percy.

"Do you know this… individual?"

"Well, she doesn't look like Mom…" He hesitated. Jason wondered if he saw the similarities between his sisters too. "So I'm guessing you're a daughter of Poseidon, Miss… uh…?" She raked her fingernails on the disc. Screeches ruffled the water.

"No one ever knows me," she sighed, "maybe Louisa should have come down instead, perhaps she would know me." Her expression hardened. "I am Kymopoleia!" Percy and Jason exchanged looks.

"So, yeah, we're going to call you Kym." Percy said. "And you'd be a, mmm, nereid? Minor goddess?"

"_Minor_?" Kym shrieked.

"By which," Jason said quickly, "he means under the drinking age! Because, obviously, you're so young and beautiful." Percy shot him a grateful look. Kym turned to him, pointing at him, tracing his outline. His air spirit shook uncomfortably around him.

"Jason Grace," she said, amused, "son of Jupiter."

"Yeah, I'm a friend of Percy's."

"So it's true." She lowered her hand. "These times _do_ make for strange friends and unexpected enemies. The Romans never worshipped me. To them, I was simply a nameless fear- a sign of Neptune's greatest wrath. They never worshipped Kymopoleia, the goddess of violent storms!" She spun her disc. Green light beamed up, rumbling the ruins again.

"Yeah," Percy rubbed at the back of his neck, "the Romans aren't big fans on navies. They had, like, one rowboat and we kind of sank it. Speaking of violent storms though," he quickly continued, "you're doing a first rate job upstairs!"

"Thank you." Kym nodded.

"Thing is, our ship is caught in it, and it's _kind of_ being ripped apart. I'm sure you didn't mean to-"

"Oh, yes, I did."

"You did." Percy repeated, grimacing. "Well, that sucks. I don't suppose you'd be so kind as to cut it out, if we asked nicely?"

"No. Even now, the ship is close to sinking. I'm rather amazed it's held together this long. Excellent workmanship." She squinted up, excited to see her carnage and then sighing when she realised. "Ah. I see our little sister is as stubborn as I heard." She looked at Percy. "She won't hold out forever. You can feel it, can't you?" Jason looked at his friend. He didn't understand the twins' connection, he figured they didn't really either. Sparks flew along his arms as he glanced up, worry for his friends building his chest.

"What can we do to get you to change your mind?" Jason asked. Kym shone him that creepy alien smile; he decided it wasn't _exactly_ like Louisa's now.

"Son of Jupiter," she cooed, "do you know where you are?" Jason bit back the obvious answer of _underwater_, shaking his head. "This," she spread her arms, "is the original palace of my father, Poseidon." Percy snapped his fingers.

"_That's_ why I recognised it. Dad's new crib in the Atlantic is a bit like this."

"I wouldn't know," Kym said coolly, "I am never invited to see my parents. I can only wander the ruins of their _old_ domains. They find my presence… disruptive." She spun her wheel. The entire back wall of the building collapsed. Percy wobbled, putting a hand to his head.

"Disruptive?" Jason croaked, watching Percy anxiously, "you?"

"My father does not welcome me in his court." Kym wrinkled her nose. "He restricts my powers. This storm above? I haven't had this much fun in ages! And yet it's only a _small _taste of what I can do." She spun the wheel again, scowling. "My father even married me off, _without_ my permission. He gave me away like a _trophy_, to Briares, a Hundred-Handed One. I was a _reward_ for his support of the gods in the war with Kronos aeons ago."

"I _know_ Briares," Percy smiled, "he's a friend of mine! I freed him from Alcatraz."

"Yes, I know." Kym regarded him coldly. "I _hate_ my husband. I was not _at all_ pleased to have him back."

"So… is he around?" Percy asked hopefully. Kym's laugh sounded like dolphin chatter.

"He's off at Mount Olympus in New York, shoring up the gods' defences." She shrugged. "My point, dear brother, is that Poseidon has never treated me fairly. I like to come here, to his old palace, because it pleases me to see his work in ruins. Soon, his new palace will look like this too. The seas _will_ rage unchecked."

"And this is the part where you tell us you're working for Gaia."

"Yep," Jason agreed, "and she was promised a better deal once the gods were destroyed, blah blah blah." He turned to Kym. "Gaia won't keep her promises, you know that, right? She's using you, just like she's using the giants."

"I am touched by your concerns," she muttered sarcastically, "but are you saying the gods have _never_ used me, mm?"

"They're trying," Percy spread his hands, "after the last Titan war, they started paying more attention to the other gods. A lot of them have cabins now, at Camp Half-Blood: Hecate, Hades, Hebe, Hypnos… uh, maybe some more that don't begin with an H." Kym raised a brow at him. "We give them offerings at every meal, cool banners, special recognition at the end-of-summer programme…"

"And do _I_ get such offerings?" Kym asked.

"Um, no… well, we didn't know you existed, but-"

"Then save your words, brother." She snarled. "I've heard so much about the _great Percy Jackson_. The giants are rather obsessed with capturing you. I must say, I don't see what the fuss is about."

"Thanks, sis." Percy deadpanned. "But if you're going to try and kill me, I gotta warn you it's been tried before. I've faced lots of goddesses recently- Nike, Akhyls, Nyx…"

"I won't kill you." She glowered. "My part of the bargain was simply to get your attention. Someone else is here, however, and he very much wants to kill you." From the ruins, a large dark shape ascended.

"The son of Neptune." A voice boomed through the waters. The giant floated down, clouds of viscous fluid poison billowing from his blue skin. His green breastplate made to resemble a cluster of open hungry mouths. Jason was a little annoyed that he had armed himself with the weapons of a retiarius, recalling how Louisa had used that style against him so many months ago.

"Polybotes." Percy sighed.

"Polly-Boats." Jason said. The giant rounded on him.

"_Don't call me that_!" He raged. "You've been hanging around that wretched girl," he turned his glare on Percy, "I will get your twin and I will make her suffer for that _stupid_ name!" He shook his head, releasing a dozen basilisks into the water. "Stay back, son of Rome. My business is with Perseus Jackson. I tracked him all the way across Tartarus. Now here, in his father's ruins, I mean to crush him and his halfling sister once and for all." Percy sighed, readying his sword.

"Lou's not going to like that."


	10. Chapter 10

**To RandomFanAuthor- 'halfing' is such a good word! And thank you! ^_^ I will make a start on the Leoisa series, I had slightly less done than I originally thought! Oops! **

**Anyway, a whole new chapter, with an old character making a cameo! Bonus points to anyone who knows who she is!**

* * *

Their jump from Portugal landed them in the middle of the Atlantic, for an entire day. Aboard the deck of the _Azores_ _Queen_, Nico slept while Coach and Reyna had the joy of keeping little children off the statue, which was apparently some sort of water slide to them.

"Get down!" Reyna barked. The kids scrambled down and ran off, giggling. "Brats." She grumbled. Coach scanned the statue for any stragglers, adjusting his cap and sighing. "How's Nico?" She asked. Nico had collapsed on a lounger. They had put a large, straw hat on his head and a parasol over him to keep him out of the sun, but he hardly needed the shade- the shadows were deeper around him, colder, writhing over the deck around him.

"Yeah," Coach pressed his lips together, "he just needs to rest." He eyed her cautiously. "Maybe you should take a break for a bit, I can keep watch." Reyna made to protest, shooing away another child trying to sneak on the statue. "Look, go and get something to eat at least. You're on a cruise, try and enjoy it before we go again."

"Just because we're in the middle of the ocean, doesn't mean-"

"I know." Coach's expression softened minutely. Reyna sighed.

"I'm going to find a bathroom, maybe clean up a little. Then I'll come back." She glared at him defiantly, eyes itching with exhaustion. Coach simply nodded, standing guard at the feet of the statue, his arms folded.

Reyna began a slow walk away, hesitant to leave. The ship was overrun with families, kids running in every direction, squealing and laughing in delight, the scent of sunscreen near overwhelming. Elderly couples basked on sun loungers, noses in books or licking ice-creams. She found a cafeteria of sorts, far fancier than any onshore restaurant she had been in. Chandeliers glistened on the ceiling, swaying gently in the rocking of the ship. It was a little quieter in here, the squishy red carpet soft under her boots, buffet tables lined the edges of the rooms, manned by staff in black and white suits, round tables buried under pristine white cloths and encased in four to six gold and red chairs took up the floor space. Reyna squeezed around to the buffet, quietly helping herself to some roast lamb and vegetables, avoiding eye contact with the staff.

She found a table nearer to the door, eating quickly, not realising how hungry she had been. Coach would love this food, but maybe he shouldn't come alone. She didn't think she could explain away a five-foot-nothing, middle-aged man eating the silverware.

The bathrooms were a little harder to find, but were just as impeccably clean as the buffet. She washed her face, neck and arms, went to the little praetor's room and ran her fingers through the tangles in her hair.

"No brush?" She started. A young woman stood next to her, maybe early-to-mid-twenties. Her blonde hair was twisted up in an elaborate display of braids and curls, her blue eyes sparkled, her skin was lightly sunburnt, tan lines on her shoulders from a swimsuit, left bare in her white summer dress.

"Lost it." Reyna answered carefully. The woman hefted a bag from somewhere by her feet, balancing it on the edge of a sink. She rummaged in it for a moment, eventually unearthing a plastic pink hairbrush.

"I always carry a spare." She smiled, passing it to Reyna. "Never know when someone might need one. Take it, I've got three more in my cabin."

"Are… are you sure?"

"Yes, of course." The woman laughed, pressing it into Reyna's hand.

"Thank you." After so much travelling and fighting monsters, so much uncertainty of where they would land next, the simple act of brushing her hair felt too much of a luxury. She tied it back in her usual simple braid, feeling better for this small effort. She thanked the woman again.

"I love your hair," she said, "I dyed my hair black once, it did not go well. My little sister thought it was hilarious." She shook her head, smiling fondly. "It's alright for her, she's got hair even darker than yours. She doesn't do anything with it, mind, so lazy."

"I know someone like that. Besides me." Reyna added at her sceptical look. "Thank you again. I'd best be getting back though. My… uh, my uncle will be wondering where I went."

"Oh, of course! No, no, keep the brush! But if you ever need tips on styling your hair, come find me! I've booked a two week cruise, so I'll be floating around." She beamed. Reyna smiled. _We won't be here for two weeks_, she thought_, hopefully no more than today._ "I'm Lizzie, by the way." She offered her hand and Reyna shook it.

"Reyna."

* * *

"You look happy." Coach said. "That came out more sarcastic than I meant, honest." He wrinkled his nose. "Feeling better?"

"I am, thank you. You'd best go and get some food yourself, but please- don't eat anything not food."

"Everything's food to a satyr!"

"You know what I meant." Reyna shooed him away. Coach grinned cheekily and rambled off, deftly sidestepping playing children. Reyna sat at the foot of Nico's sun lounger, toying with the pink hairbrush. She looked up at the statue, squinting in the sunlight bouncing off the gold.

She looked to Nico. He seemed paler than usual. The shadows had quietened a little, some warmth beginning to seep in. He fidgeted restlessly, muttering in Italian. Sleep pulled at her eyes, but she couldn't relent now. Not until Coach returned.

Reyna paced back and forth, listening to the kids splashing and screaming in the pool, laughter bursting from around the ship, the rush of the waves against the hull. The sea air was cool and playful. She saw a pod of dolphins a few hundred feet away, diving in and out of the water. She may have seen a hippocampus amongst them, the brief glitter of rainbow scales, before it disappeared again.

"Hey." Nico said at her shoulder, rubbing at his eyes.

"Hey. How are you feeling?"

"Why are we on a cruise ship?"

"I don't know, but it beats landing in the ocean. I don't think the Athena Parthenos floats."

"Mm, yeah, good point." He yawned and stretched. "Where's Coach?"

"Food."

"Ah, say no more." He stared blearily at her. "Are you OK?" He asked. Reyna nodded, looking back out at the sea. Nico leaned on the railing beside her, folding his arms and slouching. "Thinking about Lou?" He asked. Reyna bit the inside of her cheek, determinedly looking at the water. Nico didn't press further, rubbing his hands together for warmth. "Get some sleep." He told her. "I need a bit more time before another jump, so you may as well."

"OK." Reyna agreed. She took his sun lounger, pleased to see only normal shadows around it. She had hardly got comfortable before she crashed.

Her dream landed her in a tunnel of sorts, dimly lit and rather damp. Why hadn't she landed in the Garden of Bacchus, as per her other dreams? She didn't have time to dwell on the question, hearing voices off to her right.

"-smells down here." Louisa was saying, once again her fourteen-fifteen year old self. Nico straggled along behind her, his olive complexion paler than her previous dream. He hunched his shoulders in his aviator jacket, his black sword at his side. Louisa carried a heavy duty torch, her sword in her other hand.

"Surely you of all people have been to worse smelling places?"

"Well, yeah, but that don't mean I don't like this smell." She wrinkled her nose. Something skittered on her left and she whirled round, landing the beam of light on a startled rat. "Bastard." She chided and it vanished into the shadows. "I don't think we should be done here, cuz. Somethin' ain't right." Nico stayed quiet, examining the walls. Louisa focused the torch on him. "Who told ya to come down here?"

"An advisor." He said. Louisa frowned.

"Some dead person then." She deciphered. "Ugh, fine. I've done worse." She shone the flashlight around, sighing. "So what're we lookin' for?"

"The mark of Daedalus."

"Uh…"

"Just look for a triangle."

"Could've just said that." She muttered. They walked on in silence, Louisa swearing loudly when a rat jumped under her foot. "If ya ain't Master Splinter, _fuck off_!" She glowered. Nico regarded her for a moment and then continued his path. Louisa stomped on, grumbling under her breath. Reyna wasn't sure how much time had passed before Nico stopped, his hand on the wall.

"Lou, the light." He requested. She turned it on him. Carved into the wall, just above his fingertips, was a triangle.

"Ah," she said, nodding, "the mark of Douglas."

"_Daedalus_." Nico corrected.

"That's what I said!"

"My gods, how have you survived this long?"

"Try me, bitch." For that, she simply got a headshake. Nico pressed his fingers to the mark. It lit up in blue, casting an ill-looking shimmer over his face. He stepped back as the wall trembled before him. Bricks shifted and crumbled as they rattled against cement, twisting and folding away, until they formed an arch. Louisa shone the light through, looking amused. "Welcome ter Diagon Alley." She said.

"Please don't imitate Hagrid again, he's much too good for you."

"Fuck off. _I'm _too good for _everyone_."

"You keep telling yourself that."

"I will, don't ya worry about it."

"I'm not."

"Fuck you."

"No." Nico took a step forward and the dream dissolved. Reyna found herself in a shopping mall, following herself and Jason. Her dogs trotted either side of them. She recognised this, only two and a bit years ago. Jason had made praetor a few months beforehand, just about settling into his role.

"So tell me," he said, "if we didn't come all this way to get me a birthday present, why are we here?"

"Your birthday isn't for another two months-"

"Plenty of planning time."

"-and I've heard reports. I wasn't sure at first, but there have been many… sightings…" She remembered choosing her words carefully, "of a powerful demigod in this area." Jason raised his eyebrows.

"How powerful?"

"Potentially dangerous."

"So why are we at the mall?"

"Because Aurum and Argentum have been tracking the scent."

"I didn't know they could do that."

"In some cases, yes. The stronger the demigod, the easier they can find them."

"Last question," he promised, "when you say potentially dangerous, _how _dangerous and… is that why we've come looking for them, rather than them going through Lupa's trials, as per everyone else?" Young Reyna took a breath, her hand on the hilt of her sword. Present Reyna recalled Jason's curiosity at the beginning of his praetorship, now recognising the burden they shared and he worried so much about. They passed a coffee shop, the chattering of customers wafted towards them on a scent of ground coffee beans and cake.

"I've only heard scout reports," Young Reyna began carefully, "but there's… there's a chance I may have a personal stake in this." His expression softened, but as promised, he asked no more questions. Present Reyna fumed quietly at this- she had heard of this demigod's ability with water and storms, predetermined a child of Neptune. She had first thought it was Percy Jackson, the boy that had ruined her and Hylla's home on Circe's Island. But that hadn't been the case.

Young Reyna led the way on, her dogs sniffing the ground, the air, passers-by. Several people patted them on the head, scratched them behind the ears. They hardly batted an eyelid at the fact they were made of metal or why there were dogs in the mall.

They walked in silence for almost twenty minutes, before Aurum barked excitedly. He bounded off, his brother and the praetors scrambling after him. They were led to another café, people swarming out of it. From inside, there was a thunderous cacophony of crashes and breakages, intermingled with swearing and the bellowing of an angry animal.

"Stupid fuckin' bull-man!" Jason and the two Reyna's stopped in the doorway. The stench of raw meat and wet fur shrivelled their stomachs, but that was the least of their concerns. The Minotaur had reduced the café's furnishings to kindling and shredded bits of material. Hundreds of cups, plates and glasses lay shattered on the floor, more cutlery bent out of shape or embedded in the floor amongst that.

The beast was making wild grabs for its target. A girl, about their age, shorter and with dark hair tied back into a ponytail. She threw a chair leg at the monster's head, darting out its reach. The Minotaur roared and charged.

"Louisa, be careful!" A blonde woman, mid-thirties, dithered to one side. The girl- Louisa- did a double-take.

"Mom, get outta here!"

"I am _not_ leaving you!"

"Mom!" Louisa began to protest, but in her double-take, the Minotaur had grabbed her. His huge, meaty hand clamped around her throat and shoulders, wrenching her from the floor. She kicked him in the face, smacking at his hand to get free, but it was like a pesky fly. He snorted and slammed her into the ground as hard as he could. The blonde woman screamed. She saw Young Reyna and Jason, saw their swords drawn. She opened her mouth to speak, shrinking back against the wall a moment later, her eyes on the monster.

The room was filling with water. But it wasn't flooding from the ground up. It came from the sprinklers overhead, from the sinks in the kitchen, from the floor where split drinks puddled in small lakes, from various sources behind the counter. It ballooned above the Minotaur, coupled with this Louisa's swearing. Jason gaped at it. Reyna remembered the sinking feeling she had felt in this moment; re-watching it, however, was more of a relief.

The Minotaur raised his other fist, bellowing angrily. His focus was on his prisoner, but he soon noticed the water when it encased his hand and slathered his arm. He screamed in outrage, desperately trying to wrench his arm free or shake the attack off. "I told ya to fuck off!" Louisa gloated. "Don't worry though," she grinned, "I heard Tartarus is great this time of year!" The water expanded in a second, completely covering the beast. It hauled him away and Louisa got to her feet, brushing herself down. She looked up at the Minotaur, his roars muffled by her element. She raised her hand, as if to shake his, clenching her fist instead. The water contracted and the Minotaur burst into yellow powder.

Louisa turned to her mother. "Next time I say leave, _leave_!"

"No." The blonde woman defied. Louisa made to argue, finally seeing their company. Aurum barked at her, wagging his tail. The water fell to the floor, sloshing over their feet. Sea green eyes fixed on the group, sizing them up.

She took in their armour, their cloaks and weapons, eyed the two dogs warily. Her left hand closed around a watch on her wrist and a sword appeared in her grip. Its colouring was unusual, its design… wasn't Roman. Present Reyna had learned, not long after this, that the watch had been a gift from her father, a combination of Imperial gold and Celestial bronze, but the design was Greek.

"If you had a sword this whole time, why didn't you use it?" Jason asked.

"I was tryin' ta avoid gettin' close ta it. Ain't the nicest smellin' monster now, is it? Who are you?" She demanded.

"Jason Grace, son of Jupiter, praetor of the Twelfth Legion."

"Reyna Ramírez-Arellano, daughter of Bellona, praetor of the Twelfth Legion. These are Aurum and Argentum, my dogs." Young Reyna cut her a cold look. "The water," she said curtly, "a daughter of Neptune?"

"Uh, yeah. Hold up, ain't the Romans, like, in San Francisco or whatever?"

"You know about us?"

"Yeah, a bit. Dad tried sendin' me ta that wolf lady. Luna?"

"Lupa."

"I was close!"

"Why didn't you go?"

"Didn't wanna." She shrugged. Alarms blared over their heads and they heard footsteps pounding towards them. The blonde woman swept forward, grabbing Louisa's arm. "Yeah, I know." She looked to the Romans. "We should get outta here."

The dream dissolved and she was finally in the Garden of Bacchus. Louisa sat beside her, her hand drifting lazily over the water in the fountain. It sloshed about, following her fingers, making shapes and patterns in the surface. This was more recent, maybe a month or so before Jason disappeared, Reyna realised. She was standing at the edge of the Garden, watching from her own perspective this time, looking down at Camp Jupiter.

"You should train with the legion, Lou." She said, repeating an argument they had had hundreds of times. "You could work your way up to centurion, with your abilities."

"Nah."

"Why not?" Reyna turned, not surprised by the answer. Louisa flicked her fingers, making a miniature whirlpool. Her tongue stuck from the corner of her mouth as the whirlpool twisted and lurched around the fountain. Reyna cleared her throat. Louisa met her gaze, attention regained. "Why won't you train, Lou?"

"I've got enough ta deal with. Don't need ta be leadin' people either."

"And yet, you did rather well in our fight against the Titan stronghold."

"Needs must." Louisa shrugged a shoulder, absent-mindedly playing with the water. Something occurred to her and she looked at Reyna, sea green eyes burning with a question and sending a palpitation through Reyna's chest. "Can a centurion order people to fall on their sword?" She asked innocently. Reyna blinked at her. Then gave a soft laugh, shaking her head.

"You are _not_ ordering Octavian to fall on his sword."

"You do it then."

"And take away your satisfaction?" Reyna raised a brow, bemused. Louisa considered her for a moment. "And _no_, that was _not_ an open invitation to lop his head off at dinner time. _Or_ in the war games." Louisa huffed, crossing her arms on the edge of the fountain.

"Suck ass, Rey-Rey."

"I'd rather not." Reyna replied simply. Louisa snorted and the water fell back into place. "I think you should consider the training. Even if you don't make it to centurion, at least you'll be able to fill in our ranks, rather than run ahead like you always do."

"Aww, c'mon, Rey, ya know I'm a loose cannon." Louisa grinned lopsidedly. "That's why ya love me." Reyna's stomach contracted and she faced away, looking out to Camp Jupiter.

"Your 'loose cannon'-ness gives me three times more paperwork than normal."

"Liar. It gives ya three times more potential _hats_ than normal!" Cold water splashed on Reyna's head, making her turn back around. Louisa shone a rather disarmingly angelic smile. "Ya need ta start thinkin' positive, Rey-Rey. Ya could make hats or planes or birds or boats- don't make that face, boats are _awesome_. You Romans are just dickheads with bad taste." She stuck her tongue out. Reyna sighed, suppressing a smile. "Fine," Louisa sat up straighter, "I'm gonna challenge Jay ta his praetorship 'n' I'm gonna bring ya'll a proper navy. Ya gonna love it."

"No-one will use it, Lou, it'll be a waste of money."

"I'll use it."

"Then you don't need a navy, you just need a boat."

"Uh, _no_, one for each day of the week! 'N' one for me birthday, gotta have daytime 'n' night-time ones, battle ships, party ships, ships to throw augurs overboard when ya ain't allowed to lop his head off at dinner _or_ in the war games- d'ya realise _how many_ different boats there are, ya could have one in each colour!" She grinned, clapping excitedly.

"No." Reyna said. Louisa's smile vanished in an instant and she pouted, brow furrowing.

"Again, _suck ass_."

"Again, _I'd rather not_."

"Reyna, wake up." She had almost forgotten it was a dream, opening her eyes to see Coach leaning over her. The sun was going down behind him, the smell of the sea was softer without the day's heat on it. "Nico's ready to go when you are." The satyr said. He examined her face carefully. "You OK?" He asked in a softer voice. He moved back a step as she sat up, rolling an ache from her shoulder. Nico stood with the statue, harnessed up and watching the sun go down. She felt in her belt pouch for the hairbrush, curling her fingers around the handle.

"Yes," she said, "I'm OK." She stood, looking out to the sea once more. She took a deep breath of the ocean air, one last time, and then faced the other two. Nico was watching her, brow creased. She ignored his gaze, aware he could empathise. She did not need that right now. "OK," she nodded, picking up her pack and steeling her resolve, "let's go."


	11. Chapter 11

**To JasonGraceIsDead- Is that so? **

**To RandomFanAuthor- It was like Albania, except I actually had an idea to expand on the cruise ship, 'cos it's on the sea and it reminds Reyna of Lou and blah blah blah. But thank you! It was Lizzie, the cameo, and be warned- my older stuff is ATROCIOUS and is _definitely_ getting a rewrite once I'm done here! **

**To jackson16- Yay, you recognised her! ^_^**

* * *

"We're done here, Lou, how are you holding up?" Louisa opened her eyes to frown at Annabeth. She didn't bother with a retort, certain vomit would come out in place of words. Dark spots swam through her vision, bile swirled in her throat and churned her stomach. She could no longer feel her limbs, was considering ripping her head off. Annabeth examined her face worriedly. The bubble keeping the storm at bay crackled, a blast of wind tearing through their hair and clothes, knocking them about. Louisa took a deep breath through her nose and the bubble stabilised. "Leo, has the storm receded at all?"

"Uh, no." Leo winced, at the control panel. "It's, um… it's gotten worse." He said quietly, voice a little higher than usual. _Thanks_, Louisa thought_, I hadn't noticed. _Piper darted to the railings, looking over the edge desperately. Beyond Louisa's bubble, they saw nothing but the freak storm, swells of waves and storm clouds, the dulled screaming of gales, rain slashing down, yearning to pelt the crew. Louisa had kept it back for almost twenty minutes now, but her hold was failing. Another cold wind swept against them, bringing with it icy rain that hit like stones. Louisa bit her lip and the breakthrough sealed.

A chill soaked Louisa's skin, unrelated to the storm. The ship seemed to see-saw and she swallowed sick. She tried to breathe, but it was as if someone had poured molten lava into her lungs. A hand gripped her arm and she opened her eyes. She could hazily make out Annabeth's blonde hair.

"Lou, what is it?" The bubble was crumbling. The storm crashed through any gap it could, as if to make up for lost time. Louisa shook Annabeth off, scrambling to the rails. She lost her footing, crashing into the bars. Her ribs groaned in complaint. She could hear her friends calling for her, but their voices spurred her on and she climbed up on a shaky limbs, diving into the raging water.

As soon as she was submerged, her head began to clear. Renewed energy began to chase away the aches in her body, her stomach settled a little. She would no longer make fun of Hazel's seasickness.

A burst of lightning caught her attention, a few hundred yards ahead and down. She twisted the water around her and shot forward. Ruins blurred past her, the water still crackled with electricity. She saw Jason first, the glow of algae turning his hair silvery. He was talking to a tall woman with dark, jellyfish hair. Polybotes stood three metres away, exuding poison into the water around him. He towered over Percy, who struggled and choked in a net at his feet.

"Hey!" Louisa swam straight for the giant, turning in the water to kick him square in the nose, as hard as she could. He was knocked back, swatting at the water to right himself. Jason appeared out of nowhere, encased in his own cyclone, and slashed at the giant's leg. Golden ichor poured from the wound, spreading through the water.

"Kym!" He yelled. "Is this really what you want?"

"Kym?" Louisa repeated, looking round. "Kym as in Kymopoleia?"

"See!" The goddess pointed at Louisa, glaring at Jason. "I told you she would know about me!" She spun her disc. A beam of green light sprang forth. Louisa shot up, spinning into its path. She held her hand out and it slammed into her. The light splayed from her palm, splintering in a dozen directions, but no longer up. She pushed against it, bringing the water with her, recovering lost distance. She clenched her free hand into a fist. With a strike, the green light coiled and roared towards Polybotes. Jason dived aside, the giant crashed into the seafloor, thunder cracking around them. For a moment, they lost sight of Polybotes in a cloud of silt.

"Gaia promised you unlimited power!" Jason turned to Kym. "Would it be any fun?" He implored. "You destroy our ship, you destroy the entire coastline of the world. Then what?" Kym frowned. "Once Gaia's wiped out the humans, who's left to fear you? You'll still be unknown!" Polybotes roared. Louisa shot past Jason, sword drawn and screaming defiantly.

Polybotes swiped his hand through the water, turning it oily black. Jason felt his heart stop- surely both twins wouldn't swim straight into deadly poison?

Louisa had a different tactic to her brother, blasting the blackness with green light. She wasn't far behind it, slashing at Polybotes' face. Jason tried to summon more lightning, but he doubted he could do more than static right now. Louisa moved effortlessly through the water, seemingly flying, diving and ducking around the giant with ease, narrowly avoiding his grabs and swipes. Polybotes rose, yelling at her for every laceration she made on his face, arm, leg. Jason swam back in, stabbing at Polybotes' forearm. For his efforts, he got smacked in the chest with the end of the trident. Louisa swam under his guard and stabbed him in the eye. She lost her sword as he recoiled, bellowing in pain. Golden ichor and other liquids mingled with the poison spreading from his skin.

"Actually, Jason Grace," Kym mused, "now that you mention it, I do enjoy being feared by mortals." She looked up from her disc, brow furrowing as she took in the state of the giant. "I am not feared enough." Jason pushed himself up, ribs smarting.

"I can help with that!" He promised. Louisa froze the water around Polybotes' legs and he toppled backwards onto the seabed again. She retrieved her sword, seemingly taking delight in the giant's pained roar, and swam to her brother. Percy moved sluggishly, groaning. Jason moved to Kym's side. "You know, gods depend on mortals. The more we honour you, the more powerful you get."

"I wouldn't know." Kym sniffed. "I've never been honoured." Louisa had Percy free now, his arm about her shoulders. She glared at Polybotes over her shoulder, flicking her hand towards him and twisting sharply. Water wrenched his arms down and he cursed. She swam away with her brother.

"I can change that." Jason told Kym. "I will personally arrange a shrine for you on Temple Hill in New Rome! Your first ever Roman shrine! I'll raise one at Camp Half-Blood too, right on the shore of Long Island Sound. Imagine being honoured-"

"And feared!"

"And feared," he agreed, "by both Greeks and Romans! You'll be famous!"

"Stop talking!" Polybotes screamed. Louisa returned, stomping on his face. The poison from his skin swirled around her.

"You," she stomped on his nose again, "are _fuckin' annoyin'_! Surely gettin' ya ass kicked back ta Tartarus _twice_ is enough of a hint to stay the _fuck_ away! But _noooo_, Polly-Boats knows best!"

"Don't call me that!" Polybotes raged. He got an arm free and smacked Louisa, hard, in the chest. She crashed into Kym, threw her hands out to land roughly on the disc. The goddess staggered two steps. Her head snapped up, furiously locking her gaze on the giant. "Sorry, Kymopoleia. But you shouldn't have been in the way."

"_In the way_?" Kym repeated shrilly. "IN THE WAY?" Polybotes took a step back. Louisa slid down from the disc, landing next to the goddess. "HOW DARE YOU?" Kym bellowed. "I AM _IN THE WAY_?" Louisa looked up at her sister, wiping blood from her chin.

"Ain't gonna be any mortals ta terrorise, if Gaia gets her way. No ships ta destroy, no-one ta be scared of ya."

"And you heard him," Jason picked up, "you're nothing but a tool for the giants. They'll cast you aside as soon as they're through destroying mortals. Then no demigods, no shrines, no fear, no respect."

"LIES!" Polybotes screamed. He made to stab at Jason. Jason hid behind Kym's dress. Louisa rolled her hands and blasted poison into the giant's face. The multiple cuts to his face steamed, his ruined eye received the brunt of the poison. He screamed again, clutching his face.

"So, what's it gonna be, Kymopoleia?" Louisa looked up at the goddess. "You really want this dickwad feedin' ya bullshit 'n' have everythin' taken away from ya?"

"No, I do not!"

"Then help us," Jason urged, "together, we can kill a giant."

"That's a terrible idea!" Polybotes protested from behind his hands. "Gaia will be most displeased!"

"_If_ Gaia wakes," Jason retorted, "the mighty Kymopoleia can help us make sure that never happens! Then all demigods will honour you big time!"

"Will they cower?"

"Tons of cowerin'!" Louisa confirmed.

"Plus your name in the summer programme! A custom design banner-"

"A cabin of ya own, right next ta Poseidon's cabin!"

"Two shrines," Jason smiled, "and I'll throw in a Kymopoleia action figure!"

"No!" Polybotes wailed. "Not merchandising rights!" Kym faced the giant, sneering.

"Their deal is better than what Gaia offered." She looked down at the demigods. "Together, my sister, my cousin, let us take down this dickwad and build my shrines!" As one, Jason and Louisa charged the giant, stabbing at him simultaneously. Kym hefted her disc and threw it, severing Polybotes' head from his neck. He crumbled into clumps of powder and ash.

Kym waved her hand and the poison cleared. Louisa zipped off, returning with Percy and sitting him down against the ruins. He was rather grey, struggling to keep his eyes open. Jason sat next to him, sharing his cyclone. He willed the ventus to share some oxygen with him, helping to expel the poison from his lungs.

"Ugh," he groaned, "thanks."

"You had me worried there, bro." Jason said, gripping his shoulder.

"Eh." Louisa shrugged, plonking herself down.

"I'm still a little fuzzy," Percy admitted, "but did you promise Kym an action figure?"

"Indeed." The goddess loomed over them. "And I expect them to deliver."

"We will," Jason promised, "Lou is a great artist, she can design your action figure, your banner. Percy dates a daughter of Athena, she can design your shrines and cabin." Jason looked to the twins and then back at their immortal sister. "When we win this war, I'm going to make sure _all_ the gods get recognised. Percy started that process last summer and I'm going to finish it. I'll make sure none of the gods are forgotten at either camp. Maybe they'll get temples, cabins, or at least shrines-"

"Or collectible trading cards." Kym suggested.

"Sure." Jason smiled. "Lou can design those too, right, Lou?"

"Yeah, course."

"I'll go back and forth between the camps until the job is done." Jason vowed. Percy whistled.

"You're talking about _dozens_ of gods."

"Hundreds." Kym corrected.

"Well then, it might take a while. But you'll be the first on my list, Kymopoleia. The storm goddess who beheaded a giant and saved our quest!" Kym stroked her jellyfish hair.

"That will do nicely." She regarded the twins. "Though I am sorry I won't see you die."

"We get that a lot." The twins replied. "Now," Percy said, "our ship?"

"Still in one piece." Kym looked to Louisa. "I under-estimated your power, little sister. Perhaps, one day, you can help me"

"Really?" Louisa perked up excitedly. "That'd be so cool!" Percy elbowed her and she did her best to be contrite. "But… as soon as we get outta the water, we're literally gonna pass out so… nice ta finally meet ya, Kym. I'll give Dad a rollickin' for bein' a-"

"Dickwad." Kym finished. "I quite like that word."

"It _is_ a good word." Louisa agreed.

"Will you _please _stop teaching people to swear?" Percy implored.

"Never." Louisa stuck her tongue out. Kym put her disc onto her shoulders, slipping her arms through straps on the back.

"I will be watching your progress," she said, "Polybotes was not boasting when he warned that your blood would awaken Gaia. The giants are very confident of this."

"My blood personally?" Percy asked. Kym smiled, slightly creepier than before.

"I am not an oracle," she said, "but I heard what the seer Phineas told you in the city of Portland. You will face a sacrifice you will not be able to make and it will cost you the world. You have yet to face your fatal flaw, my brother. Look around. All works of gods and men eventually turn to ruins. Would it not be easier to flee into the depths with that girlfriend of yours?" She looked to Louisa. "And you with yours?"

"Mine?" Louisa repeated blankly, though her face seemed rather pink.

Percy used Jason's shoulder as leverage to pull himself up, struggling to his feet.

"Juno offered me a choice," he said, "like yours, when I first arrived at Camp Jupiter. I'll give you the same answer- I don't run when my friends need me."

"And there is your flaw." Kym shrugged. "Being unable to step away. I will retreat to the depths and watch the battle unfold. The forces of the ocean are also at war-"

"Great." Louisa muttered.

"Your friend, Hazel Levesque, made quite an impression on the merpeople and their mentors, Aphros and Bythos."

"The fish-pony dudes." Percy nodded.

"They didn't wanna meet us." Louisa huffed.

"Even now, they are waging war for your sake, trying to keep Gaia's allies away from Long Island. Whether or not they will survive, remains to be seen." Kym's gaze shifted. "Jason Grace, your path will be no easier than your friends'. You will be tricked. You will face unbearable sorrow."

"You're chipper." Jason sighed. "Any points on defeating a goddess who can't be defeated?"

"Oh, but you know the answer. You are a child of the sky, you are children of the sea. Storms are in your blood. A primordial god has been defeated once before. You know of whom I speak."

"Ouranos." Jason realised, understanding dawning on the twins. "The first god of the sky. But that means-"

"Yes." Kym almost looked sympathetic. "Let us hope it does not come to that. If Gaia does wake… well, your task will not be easy. But if you win, remember your promise, pontifex."

"I'm not a priest."

"No?" Kym smiled bemusedly. "By the way, your ventus servant wishes to be freed. Since he has helped you, he hopes you will let him go when you reach the surface. He promises not to bother you a third time."

"_A third time_?" Jason baffled. Kym paused for a moment, listening.

"He says he joined the storm above to take revenge on you. But had he known how strong you had become since the Grand Canyon, he would never have approached your ship." Something clicked in Jason's head. Louisa got the giggles at his dumbfounded expression.

"Dylan?" He asked. "Are you kidding me? I'm breathing _Dylan_?"

"Yes, that seems to be his name." Kym nodded. Jason fumed, glowering at the twins as they both dissolved into amusement.

"I'll let him go once we get to the surface." Jason muttered. "Shut up you two."

"Farewell then," Kym said, "may the Fates smile upon you. Assuming the Fates survive." And with that, Kym vanished in a ripple of green light. Jason sat back down next to the twins, frowning at his cyclone. It took a moment- a far too _long_ moment- for their humour to die down, but they were smiling at him, like this was their favourite thing. Percy was slumped against the ruins, still a little woozy from the poison. Next to him, Louisa reclined, revelling in her ocean time.

Thanks, guys." Percy eventually said. "You saved my life."

"Hey, that's what friends do." Jason smiled.

"Nah." Louisa elbowed him. "If anyone's gonna kill ya, it's gonna be me." Percy rolled his eyes and elbowed her back.

"It's just… the Jupiter guy saving the Poseidon guy at the bottom of the ocean-"

"Hey, I helped!"

"Can we keep it to ourselves? I'll never hear the end of this otherwise." Louisa grinned slyly at him. Percy elbowed her again. "You shush, you're nothing but trouble."

"Thank you."

"OK," Jason nodded, "and he's right, Lou, you _are_ trouble."

"Ya'll make it sound like a bad thing."

"How are you feeling?" Jason asked Percy.

"Better. I… I have to admit, choking on that poison…" He glanced at his sister, worry creasing his brow. "I kept thinking about Akhlys. The misery goddess. I… almost destroyed her with that poison," he looked at Jason, "it felt good, but… in a bad way? If Annabeth hadn't stopped me-"

"But she did." Jason assured. "That's another thing friends have to do for each other."

"Stoppin' shit-storms?" Louisa asked. "Ya don't _have_ to."

"Thing is," Percy continued, pressing his hands together, "as I was choking, I kept thinking it was payback for Akhlys. The Fates are letting me die the same way I tried to kill that goddess. And honestly… a part of me felt I deserved it. That's why I didn't control Polybotes' poison." He bit his lip, looking down at his feet. "That probably sounds crazy."

"No, I think I get it." Jason said.

"Don't worry, bro, we've got ya back."

"Thanks. Um… what did Kym mean about defeating Gaia? You mentioned Ouranos?"

"The sky god," Jason nodded, "the Titans defeated him by calling him down to earth and cutting him up away from his home territory."

"How would we do that with Gaia?" Percy asked. Jason didn't answer, thoughts burning behind his eyes.

"Let's get to Delos first," he said, "Maybe Apollo and Artemis can offer some advice." Neither of them were overly impressed with his response, but Percy soon had another question.

"Why did Kym call you a Pontiac?"

"No," Jason laughed, "she said _pontifex_. It means priest."

"Oh." Percy frowned. "Still sounds like a car. The new pontifex XLS. Will you have to wear a collar and bless people?"

"Nah, he gets a dish cloth on his head."

"I don't!" Jason shook his head. "You two are insufferable, how has Annabeth put up with you for so long?" They simply shrugged. Jason frowned at Louisa. "Now that I think about it, you weren't any less annoying at Camp Jupiter."

"Thanks, cuz."

"And I was lucky enough that Reyna dealt with you more than I did."

"Only marginally." Louisa held up her hand, thumb and forefinger a hairsbreadth apart. "Ya wouldn't have been such a good praetor if it weren't for me, Sparky."

"That's bull and you know it."

"Fight me, dickwad."

"As wonderful as this is," Percy cut in, "I still don't know what a Pontiac is."

"A _pontifex_." Jason stressed. "A pontifex maximus is simply a high priest to the gods."

"Which you kind of are now," Percy nodded, "with all this going back and forth between the camps, considering there are still camps this time next week."

"I demand double wage." Louisa nodded. "Ya'll gotta commission me if ya want collectible tradin' cards 'n' action figures. If the gods are recognised, hopefully they'll fight less 'n' give us a break."

"That would be good." Percy agreed. He looked Jason up and down. "You… look different. Better different."

"Bro, ya've got a girlfriend."

"No, not like that. Shut up, Lou." He swatted her arm. "Jason, does your wound still hurt?"

"My wound?" Jason repeated. He lifted his shirt and pulled away the bandages. No bleeding. No scar. No pain. "It's gone! I feel… completely normal. What the heck?"

"You beat it, man!" Percy beamed. "You found your own cure!"

"Yay, now I don't have ta play nurse. Can we go back now, I'm hungry?"

* * *

As soon as the twins left the water, they passed out. Jason grabbed each one around the waist and flew them up, willing Dylan to help him with the extra weight. They touched down on the deck and he let the ventus go. The storm was gone, leaving crystal blue skies and gentle seas. Frank was the first to them, picking the twins up effortlessly, one over each shoulder. Annabeth followed him down to the med-bay.

Piper hurried over, her hand on Jason's chest.

"It's gone," he told her, "I'm OK."

"What? What happened down there?"

"Let's get moving first, we need to get to Delos. I'll explain when the twins wake up."

The twins didn't take long to wake up, but that was purely courtesy of Leo. He upended a barrel of seawater on them and then ran for his life when they spluttered curses and sat up. They made it to the mess hall, murder in their eyes, but sleep in their limbs. Annabeth directed them to the table and they stopped plotting Leo's destruction to eat. Between them, they piled the table high with pizzas, toasties, pasta, cake, hot dogs, biscuits, cheese burgers and fries, just wolfing it down.

Jason began explaining, stopping every time they felt like chipping in.

"I've got a cool immortal sister." Louisa smirked proudly.

"Uh," Leo raised his hand, "she tried to _drown us_."

"Well, yeah, that bit sucked, but she's still cool!"

"You're weird." Frank remarked.

"If ya only just learnin' that, I'm worried for the fate of the world."

"Gee, thanks."

* * *

"Blondie." Louisa grabbed Annabeth after story-time, pulling her to one side. "You'll be happy ta know that Percy let himself get poisoned rather than controllin' it. He said he felt like he deserved it after what he did ta that misery lady."

"Why would I be-? You know what," Annabeth held her hands up, "nevermind. Thank you, Lou. I'll go and talk to him."

"Gently." Louisa prompted, pinching Annabeth's sleeve before she could walk off. "He, uh, he also said that… when he was tryna kill that goddess, he said it felt good, but… like, in a bad way? He hates himself for scarin' ya, so… gently gently."

"You know what 'gently' means?"

"I'm gonna gently break ya jaw."

"Bring it on, kelp head."

"Owl face."

"Oh, wow, real original."

"Could've said the same 'bout 'kelp head'."

"Don't make me tell Reyna."

"Reyna gave me strict instructions ta do what I want."

"That's lies and you know it."

"I'd ask her, but she ain't here, so my word goes."

"Your word goes when Frank deigns to swear."

"Challenge accepted. FRANK!" She bellowed. Annabeth raised a brow at her. "FRANK!" She tried again. Still no response. With a frown, she spun on her heel and faced the majority of the ship, clenching her fists stubbornly. "_FRAAAAAAANK_! I NEED YA TA SAY FUCK, WHERE THE _SHIT_ ARE YOU?"

"Frank's not here right now, go away!" Frank called back.

"FRANK, YA TOO PURE, JUST SAY FUCK!"

"No!"

"You're not going to do it." Annabeth laughed, arms folded smugly. Louisa regarded her coolly over her shoulder.

"Bitch, ya'll not hear me say 'challenge accepted'? I'm gonna get Frank ta say fuck if it kills me."

"Well, that might not kill you, but Hazel would."

"Reyna said I needed ta teach Frank 'bout being a praetor, so I'm gonna do it."

"By teaching him to swear?"

"Yes."

"I'd question your logic, Lou, but it seems you don't have any."

"PERCY, YA GIRLFRIEND'S A DICK!"


	12. Chapter 12

**To HoO Fan- your review made my day, thank you so much! Probably one of the nicest reviews I've had! I'm definitely working on the ToA series, but it might not be as much as this one as I have another idea that I will be playing out after this, hehehe! And I will also definitely be doing one-shots, it was going to be just LeLou but I like your idea of doing some for all the couples! Thank you! You've no idea how happy I was reading your review! ^_^**

* * *

Their next jump was nowhere as nice as the cruise and wasn't anywhere Reyna would have ever returned to. They materialised ten feet in the air, momentarily suspended over a restaurant courtyard Reyna recognised. She and Nico tumbled onto a large birdcage. It broke, dumping them into a cluster of potted ferns along with three, very startled parrots. Coach fell on a canopy over a bar. The Athena Parthenos landed straight up on her feet, flattening a patio table and flipping a dark green parasol. It landed on the Nike statue, so the goddess of wisdom looked like she was enjoying a tropical beverage.

"Oh no." Coach muttered. The canopy ripped and he disappeared behind the bar with a crash of bottles and glasses. He popped up, beaming, a dozen mini plastic swords in his hair. He snatched up the soda gun and served himself a drink. "I like it!" He grinned, tossing a wedge of pineapple into his mouth. "Next time, kid, can we land on the floor, rather than, you know, above it?"

Nico dragged himself from the ferns, groaning. He wobbled his way over to the nearest chair and fell into it, sighing. While he had slept on the cruise, Reyna had stitched up the werewolf claw marks in his arms. He examined them- angry, red and swollen. "They'll be slow to heal," Reyna told him, "and they will burn, but you won't be howling at any full moons anytime soon."

"I've got to sleep." Nico said. He looked around dazedly. "Are we safe?" Reyna scanned the courtyard, finding it oddly deserted. It made no sense. This time of night, it should've been packed. The evening sky glowed a murky terracotta. Ringing the atrium, the second-story balconies were empty except for more potted plants. Behind a wall of glass doors, the interior of the restaurant was dark. The only sounds were the fountain gurgling sadly and the squawks of disgruntled parrots.

"This is Barrachina." Reyna said.

"What kind of bear?" Hedge asked, popping open a jar of maraschino cherries and chugging them down.

"It's a famous restaurant," Reyna answered, "in the middle of Old San Juan. They invented the piña colada here, back in the nineteen-sixties, I think."

"That's nice." Nico mumbled. He pitched forward in his chair, curled up on the floor and began snoring. Coach belched, ignoring Reyna's look of disgust.

"If they haven't invented new drinks since the sixties, I'd best get to work!" Reyna left him to it, whistling for her dogs. After their fight with the werewolves, they were in a worse state than ever before. She placed them on guard duty, patting their heads. The decorative iron gates were locked. A sign in Spanish and English read the restaurant was closed for a private party. Beneath that, were the embossed letters _HTK_. These bothered Reyna, but she couldn't put her finger on as to why.

Coach whistled happily, setting up a row of blenders. The parrots had settled themselves on the statue and Reyna distantly wondered if the Greeks would mind if the statue returned with splatters of tropical bird poop.

But why were they here? Why San Juan? Coincidences were rare in a demigod's life. Puerto Rico was technically a detour between Europe and New York, much too far south. Had lending her strength to Nico these past few days influenced where they went? He was drawn to painful memories, to fear and darkness. Reyna's darkest, most painful memories lay here, in San Juan.

Aurum and Argentum picked up on her agitation. They prowled the courtyard, snarling at shadows. Poor Argentum had to turn in circles, trying to aim his sideways head so he could see out of his remaining ruby eye.

Reyna took a breath, settling into a chair. There were positive memories here, she had to concentrate on those. She had missed the sound of the little _coqui_ frogs, singing around the neighbourhood. She had missed the smell of the ocean, the blossoming magnolias and citrus trees. The fresh-baked bread from the local panaderías. How, beyond the gates, she could visit Plaza de Armas, where the old men sat with their dominoes and drank coffee so strong it could make your ears pop. She wanted to go further, find her old street- Calle San Jose- naming the stray cats and allocating each one a back story. Hylla had always entertained her stories, embellished them with extra details.

But she wanted to wake Nico up. No matter how tired he was, she wanted to wake him up and get as far from San Juan, from her old home, from _all_ the memories and never _ever_ look back. She had come too far to lose it all now. Looking Nico over, her escape from this place would have to wait. Despite the warmth of the evening, he shivered on the tile floor. She pulled a blanket from her pack and covered him. She no longer second-guessed her want to protect him. They shared a connection now; with every shadow-travel, with each lend of her strength, she understood him a little better.

Nico was alone, crushingly alone. Bianca, his big sister, only two years his senior, had cared for him when they escaped the Lotus Hotel. She had been a child herself, a child who took on his care, who took on the oath of the Hunters and who had died, trying to get her baby brother a toy. He found solace in Louisa, loud and bolstering, crazy and violent Louisa. She was not Bianca, nowhere close, but she took him under her wing, desperately tried to make him see sense when Minos got too big for his boots. Other demigods he kept away, he pushed and pushed, no matter how hard they tried to get close to him. His experiences at Camp Half-Blood, in the Labyrinth, in Tartarus… he was too scarred, too frightened, too untrusting. Reyna didn't know what she could do, but he would have her support. No hero should be alone. The point of the Twelfth Legion was so _no one_ fought and lived alone.

She looked up to the terracotta sky. They had seven more days to reach Long Island. Once they completed their mission- _if_ they completed their mission, she would have Nico recognised for his bravery. She slipped her arms from the straps of her backpack, tried to place it under his head like a makeshift pillow. Her fingers passed right through him and her hand snapped back to her chest.

Dread frosting her airway, she tried again. She was able to lift his head, slide the pillow under. His skin was cool, but otherwise normal. This trip was costing him too much. What if he was starting to fade permanently? If he kept pushing his limit for another week…

"You want a smoothie?" Coach asked, his booming voice slicing through her thoughts. He raised a glass, grinning. "This one is pineapple, mango, orange and banana, all buried under a mound of shaved coconut. I call it the Hercules!"

"I- I'm alright, thanks." Reyna scanned the balconies surrounding them. The emptiness of the restaurant chilled her. A private party? HTK? "Coach, I think I'll scout the second floor. I don't like-" A shadow caught her eye. Her attention snapped to the right, a dark shape. More silhouettes clustered on the rooftops, black against the orange clouds. Reyna drew her sword. A flash of silver, a gentle _whoosh_, and the point of a needle buried itself in her neck. Her vision clouded. Her limbs seemed to melt. She fell, landing in a tangled heap beside Nico.

"Hey!" Coach protested. A second later, he vanished behind the bar, a silver needle in his neck. The figures on the roof leaped into the courtyard, silent and graceful. One crouched beside Reyna, but all she saw was a grey haze.

"Take her." A muffled voice ordered. A cloth sack was wrestled over her head. _Am I going to die_? She thought sluggishly, _without a fight_? Then it didn't matter. She was lifted by several pairs of rough hands. Unconsciousness took her.

* * *

Things started to make sense before she regained a fully conscious state. HTK. "Not funny," she murmured to herself, "not _remotely _funny." She was tied to a hard, wooden chair. The cloth sack was still on her head, but not tied at her neck. Cords were tight around her ribs, her hands shackled behind her, but her legs were free at the ankles. She wriggled her fingers and toes. The tranquiliser's effects was fading.

Her ears discerned footsteps approaching, growing louder with each second. She let her body slacken, rested her chin on her chest. A lock clicked. A door squeaked slightly as it opened. It sounded like she was in a small room, stone walls. Only one person entered. Barely five feet away.

A burst of energy to her legs, she surged forward. She spun sharply, the chair legs smashing into her captor's body. The chair shattered. Her captor fell with a pained grunt. Shouting filled the corridor, the rushing of more footsteps. She shook the sack from her head, dropping into a backward roll and pulling her bound hands under her legs. Her arms were now in front of her.

A teen girl in grey camouflage lay dazed on the floor, a single knife in her belt. Reyna snatched the knife and straddled the girl, pressing the blade to her throat. Three more girls filled the doorway. Two held knives. One nocked an arrow. Reyna glared at them, calculating ways to overcome the three in the doorway. They wore the same grey camouflage T-shirts, black jeans and black boots. They all had utility belts as if they were campers or hikers or… _hunters_.

"You're the Hunters of Artemis." Reyna deduced.

"Take it easy." The girl with the bow warned. Her ginger hair was shaved on the sides, long on top. She had the build of a professional wrestler. "You've got the wrong impression." The girl on the floor exhaled, trying to loosen Reyna's hold. Reyna simply pressed the knife closer.

"_You've_ got the wrong impression," she corrected heatedly, "if you think you can attack and kidnap me! Where are my friends?"

"Unharmed, right where you left them." The ginger girl promised. "Look, it's three to one and your hands are tied."

"You're right," Reyna growled, "get another six of you and it might be a fair fight." They exchanged looks. "I demand to see your lieutenant, Thalia Grace." On the floor, Reyna's hostage began trembling. Her first thought was that the Hunter was having some sort of fit. Then she realised. The girl was laughing. "What's so funny?" She demanded.

"Jason told me you were good," the girl answered in a rough whisper, "he didn't say _how_ good." Reyna examined her face carefully. She seemed about sixteen, with choppy black hair and startling blue eyes. Across her forehead shone a circlet of silver.

"_You're _Thalia?"

"And I'd be happy to explain," Thalia agreed, "if you'd kindly not slit my throat."

* * *

The Hunters led her through a maze of corridors. Concrete blocks for walls, painted army green and without windows. The only light came from dim fluorescents every twenty or so feet. The ginger Hunter, Phoebe, took the lead, through twisting passages, turning and doubling back, walking without hesitation. Thalia Grace held her ribs as she limped next to Reyna. Despite her chair-induced pain, her eyes sparkled with amusement.

"Sorry for abducting you," she said, rather unapologetically, "this lair is secret. The Amazons have certain protocols-"

"The Amazons." Reyna repeated. "You work for them?"

"_With _them." Thalia corrected. "We have a mutual understanding. Sometimes the Amazons send recruits our way or vice-a-versa. The Amazons and the Hunters don't see eye-to-eye on everything, but since Gaia began to wake, we've been cooperating closely. With the camps at each other's throats… well, someone has to deal with all the monsters. Our forces are spread across the entire continent."

"I thought you told Jason you didn't know of Camp Jupiter." Reyna inquired, rubbing at the rope marks on her wrists.

"Well, I do _now_, thanks to Hera's scheming." Thalia's expression tightened. "How is Jason?"

"When I left him in Epirus, he was OK." Reyna brought her up to speed. Thalia's eyes fixed on her as she spoke; electric blue, intense and alert, so like Jason's. But there were no other physical similarities between the siblings. Thalia's hair was dark and choppy, her jeans tattered and held together with safety pins. Her neck and wrists were adorned with metal chains and her grey camo shirt was pinned with a badge that read '_Punk is not dead, you are'_.

"I hope he's still well," Thalia mused once Reyna had finished, "a few nights ago, I dreamed about our mother. It… wasn't pleasant. Then I got Nico's message in my dreams- about Orion hunting you. That was even _less_ pleasant."

"So, that's why you're here- Nico's message."

"Well, we didn't rush to Puerto Rico for a vacation- gods know, we could use one though. This is one of the Amazons' most secure strongholds. We took a gamble we'd intercept you."

"Intercept us… how? Why?"

Phoebe stopped in front of them. The corridor ended with a set of metal doors. She tapped on them with the butt of her knife, a pattern akin to Morse code.

"I'll have to leave you here," Thalia said, massaging her ribs, "the Hunters are patrolling the old city, keeping a lookout for Orion. I need to get back to the front lines." She considered Reyna again, holding out her hand. "My knife, please."

"What about my weapons?" Reyna asked, returning the blade.

"You'll get them when you leave. I know it seems silly, the kidnapping and blindfolding and whatnot, but the Amazons take their security seriously. Last month they had an incident at their main centre in Seattle. A girl named Hazel Levesque stole a horse." One of the other Hunters, Celyn, grinned.

"Naomi and I saw the security footage. Absolutely legendary."

"Epic." The third Hunter agreed.

"At any rate," Thalia continued, "we're keeping watch on Nico and the satyr too. Unauthorised males aren't allowed anywhere _near_ this place, but we left them a note so they wouldn't worry." From her belt, Thalia unfolded a photocopy of a handwritten note and passed it to Reyna.

"IOU one Roman praetor," Reyna read, "she will be returned safely. Sit tight. Otherwise you'll be killed. XOX, the Hunters of Artemis?" She bit back a laugh and handed the letter back. "Right. That won't worry them at all." Phoebe grinned.

"It's all cool. I covered the statue with this new camouflage netting I designed. It should keep monsters- even Orion- from finding it. Besides if my guess is right, Orion isn't tracking the statue. I think he's tracking _you_."

"How-?" Reyna began.

"Phoebe is my best tracker," Thalia explained, "and best healer. And… well, she's generally right about most things."

"_Most_ things?" Phoebe protested. "Like that time we teamed up with _Lou_ and I told you it was a _bad idea_?" Thalia pursed her lips.

"Lou's unpredictable."

"What happened?" Reyna asked.

"Long story short, it's a miracle we weren't drowned or electrocuted. Lou and Thalia… don't mix very well." Phoebe smiled. Thalia raised her hands in an _I give up_ gesture.

"I'll let the Amazons explain things to you, Reyna. Phoebe, Celyn, Naomi- accompany Reyna inside. I have to see to our defences."

"You're expecting a fight." Reyna noted. "But you said this place was secret and secure."

"You don't know Orion," Thalia said, sheathing her knife, "I wish we had more time, Praetor. I'd like to hear more about your camp and how you ended up there. You remind me so much of your sister, and yet…"

"You know Hylla? Is she safe?"

"None of us are safe these days. I really must go. Good hunting!" Thalia vanished back down the corridor. The metal doors creaked open and the other three Hunters led Reyna in.

The tunnels had been claustrophobic. Beyond the metal doors, lay a warehouse, the size of which took Reyna's breath away. A squad of giant eagles could have easily done manoeuvres under the vast ceiling. Three-storey-tall rows of shelves stretched into the distance. Robotic forklifts raced through the aisles, collecting boxes. Half a dozen young women in black trouser suits stood nearby, comparing notes on their tablet computers. Before them were crates labelled 'Explosive arrows' and 'Greek fire (16 OZ. EZ-OPEN PACK)' and 'Gryphon Fillets (Free range organic)'.

In front of Reyna, a conference table stood piled high with reports and bladed weapons. Behind it, a familiar figure. She looked up as Reyna approached.

"Baby sister." Hylla rose. "Here we are, home again. Facing certain death again. We have to stop meeting like this."

Reyna loved her sister. She would be dead many times over if not for Hylla. But even still, she couldn't decide if she wanted to hug her, cry or walk away. She was twenty-two now, but could have easily passed for Reyna' twin, with the same dark hair and the same brown eyes. Hylla walked around the table, looking every inch an Amazon queen in black leather trousers and black vest top. A cord of gold Labyrinthine links glittered at her waist, the belt of the queen. She still wore the ring of their mother, Bellona, as Reyna always did, silver with the torch-and-spear emblem. The most obvious difference between them was the long white scar on Hylla's forehead. It had faded somewhat over the last four years, could have been mistaken for a worry line. Reyna remembered the day Hylla got that scar, in a duel on board the pirate ship.

Hylla put her hands on her hips. "Well?" She prompted. "No warm words for your sister?"

"Thank you for having me abducted," Reyna said, "for shooting me with a tranquiliser dart, putting a bag over my head and tying me to a chair." Hylla rolled her eyes, a shadow of amusement in the dark brown.

"Rules are rules. As a praetor, you should understand that. This distribution centre is one of our most important bases. We have to control access. I can't make exceptions, even if you are my sister."

"I think you just enjoyed it."

"That too." Was Hylla as cool and collected as she seemed? She had adapted to her new identity quickly, but six years ago, she had been a scared big sister, doing her best to protect Reyna from their father's rage. Her main skills consisted of running and finding them places to hide.

On Circe's Island, Hylla had strived to be noticed, donning flashy clothes and make-up and a bubbly personality to match, always smiling and laughing, as if acting happy would _make_ her happy. She worked her way up to be one of Circe's favourite attendants.

Then their island sanctuary burned down. They were taken prisoner aboard a pirate's ship and Hylla changed again. She out-pirated the pirates, gained the crew's respect so fiercely, Blackbeard had to put them ashore so she didn't take over his ship.

And here she was now, the queen of the Amazons. She changed like a chameleon; she had to, so she could never become the thing their father had.

"Those initials on the reservation sign at Barrachina," Reyna said, "HTK. Hylla Twice-Kill, your new nickname. A little joke?"

"Just seeing if you were paying attention."

"You knew we would land in that courtyard. How?"

"Shadow-travel is magic." Hylla shrugged. "Several of my followers are daughters of Hecate. It was simple enough for them to pull you off course, especially since you and I share a connection." Reyna swallowed her anger. Of all people, Hylla should know how she felt about being dragged back to Puerto Rico.

"You went to a lot of trouble." She said. "The queen of the Amazons and the lieutenant of Artemis, rushing their forces to Puerto Rico on a moment's notice to intercept us. I'm guessing that's not because you missed me." Beside her, Phoebe chuckled.

"She's smart." She grinned.

"Of course." Hylla agreed. "I taught her everything she knows." More Amazons started to gather around, sensing a potential fight. They loved violence as much as pirates did.

"Orion." Reyna guessed. "That's what brought you here. His name got your attention."

"I couldn't let him kill you. But it's more than that. Your mission to escort the Athena Parthenos-"

"-is important." Reyna finished for her. "But it's more than that, isn't it? This is personal for you. And for the Hunters. What's your game?" Hylla ran her thumbs along her golden belt, considering Reyna carefully.

"Orion is a problem. Unlike the other giants, he has been walking the earth for centuries. He takes a special interesting in killing Amazons or Hunters. Or _any_ female who dares to be strong."

"Why?" A ripple of dread passed through the girls around her. Hylla looked to Phoebe.

"Do you want to explain? You were there." Phoebe's smile had faded. She folded her arms.

"In the ancient times, Orion joined the Hunters. He was Lady Artemis's best friend. He had no rivals at the bow, except for the goddess herself, and perhaps Apollo." Reyna looked at Phoebe in a new light. She looked no more than fourteen years old. But here she was, speaking a first person account of knowing Orion three to four thousand years ago.

"What happened?"

"Orion crossed the line." Phoebe scowled. "He fell in love with Artemis."

"Always happens with men." Hylla said coldly. "They promise friendship, they promise to treat you as an equal. In the end, all they want is to possess you." The Hunters shifted uneasily. "Continue." Hylla prompted, looking at Phoebe.

"Lady Artemis turned him down, of course. Orion became bitter. He started going on longer and longer trips by himself in the wilderness. I'm not sure what happened, but one day Artemis returned to camp and told us Orion had been killed. She refused to speak of it."

"Whatever happened," Hylla frowned, "when Orion rose again, he was Artemis's bitterest enemy. No-one can hate you with more intensity than someone who used to love you." She looked at her sister, giving Reyna the impression she was being X-rayed.

"If he's such a problem," Reyna pressed on, "why doesn't Artemis simply kill him again?"

"Easier said than done." Phoebe grimaced. "He is sneaky. Whenever Artemis travels with us, he stays away. When we are on our own, he strikes without warning. Our last lieutenant, Zoë Nightshade, spent centuries tracking him down to kill him."

"The Amazons have also tried. He doesn't distinguish between Hunters and Amazons. He sabotages our warehouses, disrupts our distribution centres, kills our warriors-"

"In other words," Reyna said dryly, "he's getting in the way of your plans for world domination."

"Exactly. We've tried every tactic we can think of to bring him down, even…" She cut a glance to Phoebe, who gave a small smile. "Unfavourable team-ups." Reyna looked to Phoebe as well.

"Was that why you teamed up with Lou?" Again, the X-ray sensation from her sister. Reyna elected to ignore it, concentrating on Phoebe's response.

"Yes. She got closer to him than the rest of us- she has a power he loathes, but he was sly. He set traps, made her choose between him and saving some of us. If not for Louisa, I and several others would have died that day."

"That's why you rushed to intercept us here." Reyna said. "You knew Orion would be right behind me. You're setting up an ambush and I'm the bait." The other girls suddenly looked anywhere but Reyna. "Oh, please." Reyna chided. "Don't develop a guilty conscience now. It's a good plan. What's next?" Hylla shone a lopsided smile at the others.

"I told you my sister was tough." She said proudly. "Phoebe, you want to explain the details?"

"Like I said, Orion is tracking _you_, not the Athena Parthenos. He seems especially good at sensing the presence of female demigods. I guess you'd say that we're his natural prey."

"Creep." Reyna wrinkled her nose. "So my friends, Nico and Coach, are they safe?"

"I still don't see why you travel with _males_," Phoebe grumbled, "Louisa would have been much more useful. But," she hunched her shoulders, "your friends are much safer without you round. I did my best to conceal the statue. With luck, Orion will follow you here, straight into our line of defences."

"And then?" Reyna asked. Hylla gave her a sort of cold smile, one that used to make Blackbeard's pirates nervous.

"Thalia and most of her Hunters are scouting the perimeter of Viejo San Juan. As soon as he gets close, we'll know. We've set traps at every approach. I have my best fighters on alert. We'll snare the giant, then- one way or another- we'll send him back to Tartarus."

"_Can_ he be killed?" Reyna asked. "I thought giants could only be killed by a god and a demigod working together."

"We intend to find out. Once Orion is taken down, your quest will be much easier. We'll send you on your way with our blessings."

"We could use more than your blessings. Amazons ship things all around the world. Why not provide safe transport for the Athena Parthenos, get us to Camp Half-Blood before August first-"

"I can't." Hylla shook her head. "If I could, sister, I would, but surely you've felt the anger radiating from the statue. We Amazons are honorary daughters of Ares. The statue would not like our interference. Besides, you know how the Fates operate. For your quest to succeed, _you _have to deliver the statue personally." Reyna's expression must have revealed how crest-fallen she was inside as Phoebe shoulder-bumped her.

"Hey, chin up. We'll help as much as we can. The Amazon service department has repaired those metal dogs of yours! And we have some cool parting gifts!" Celyn gave Phoebe a leather satchel. "Let's see," Phoebe said, rummaging through the bag, "healing potions. Tranquiliser darts-"

"Ah, sentimentality."

"And this!" Phoebe triumphantly produced a rectangle of folded silvery cloth.

"A handkerchief?"

"Better. Back up a little." Reyna stepped back. Phoebe dropped the cloth on the floor and it erupted into a ten-by-ten camping tent. "It's air-conditioned and sleeps four. It has a buffet table and sleeping bags inside. Whatever extra gear you put it in will collapse with the tent. Um, within reason. The statue won't fit." Celyn snickered.

"If your male travelling companions get annoying, you could always leave them inside."

"That wouldn't work." Naomi frowned. "Would it?"

"_Anyway_," Phoebe pressed on, "these tents are great. When you're ready to close it, the command word is _actaeon_." The tent folded back into its tiny rectangle. Phoebe picked it up and shoved it back in the satchel. "Here." She handed it to Reyna.

"I… don't know what to say." Reyna marvelled. "Thank you." Phoebe shrugged, smiling bashfully.

"It's the least I can do for-" Fifty feet away, a side door slammed open. An Amazon in a black trouser suit sprinted straight towards Hylla, her long auburn hair pulled back in a ponytail. Reyna recognised her from the battle at Camp Jupiter.

"Kinzie?"

"Praetor." The girl gave her a distracted nod, whispering something in Hylla's ear. Hylla's expression hardened.

"I see." She said. "Something is wrong. We've lost contact with the outer defences. Orion-" Behind Reyna, the metal doors exploded.


	13. Chapter 13

**To RandomFanAuthor- (Chapter 11) I did a one-shot YEARS ago of Leo and Lou trying to get Frank to swear, based on something I saw on Tumblr, and it literally ends with him just saying 'butt'. You and JasonGraceIsDead are my consistent reviewers and I'm ever grateful! It's nice seeing you two pop up! Wouldn't mind more reviews though, hint hint ya'll! ^_^ Nice theory, but no! And (Chapter 12) I've not played Halo 3 (sorry!) but those descriptions definitely match Reyna, Annabeth and Lou! And yes! She does! Fun may not be the right term, but it's there! And thank you, I keep worrying I'm making it too much like the original works, but some stuff doesn't need changing, you know?**

**To JasonGraceIsDead- who said she'd react? O:)**

* * *

Leo wasn't very happy. He had just finished his modifications to the ship, had all his upgrades and new designs in place, and then a storm goddess decides to come along and smack them about just because some dirt lady bribed her. Louisa making the storm go round had spared parts of the ship, but he still had his hands full with upcoming repairs.

The Argo II limped through the Aegean, too damaged to fly, too slow to outrun monsters. They fought hungry sea serpents about every hour and by fought, it was mostly Louisa swearing to a degree they had not met before and scolding them. Most of them slithered away, not wanting to face a daughter of Poseidon's wrath. Some tried their luck and were soon glittering powder on the waves.

At one point, they got stuck on a rock. The twins and Jason had to get out and push. The engine wheezed so strongly, Leo wanted to cry. It took three long days to get the ship back into working order, more or less. Just in time to dock at the island of Mykonos and undoubtedly get bashed to pieces again. Percy and Annabeth left to scout the shore. Leo stayed to fine-tune the control console- again. Louisa sat and passed him tools, but he was so engrossed in his wiring, he hardly heard anything she said. His thoughts were pulled back to reality when Percy tapped him on the shoulder.

"Hey, man. Gelato."

"You've just made my day." Leo marvelled at him. Percy smiled, somewhat awkwardly, and patted him on the head. The crew assembled on the deck, without a storm or a monster attack to worry about, and ate ice cream. Well, not Frank- poor lactose-intolerant, still not-swearing Frank had an apple. The day was hot and windy, the sea was a little choppy, but Leo had fixed the stabilisers enough for Hazel to not get overly seasick.

"We saw these pelicans walking around town," Percy reported, "just… going through the shops, stopping at bars."

"Monsters in disguise?" Hazel frowned.

"No." Annabeth laughed. "Just regular old pelicans. They're the town's mascots or something. And there's a 'Little Italy' section of town, hence the gelato."

"I love pelicans." Louisa grinned. "They've got a wicked sense of humour."

"Europe is messed up." Leo shook his head. "First we go to Rome for Spanish steps and then Greece for Italian ice cream? Pelicans or no, this is weird."

"I can take the ice cream back." Percy warned playfully.

"You monster." Leo accused, turning away and guarding his double chocolate delight. Percy's eyes gleamed cheekily. Louisa stuck her foot out and plonked it on his leg. She was pouting, holding out her empty ice cream cup.

"You are _not_ having _my_ ice cream." Percy defied.

Leo tried to imagine they were on vacation, just chilling. He wished Calypso was here- had she ever had gelato? He would have to wait and see. He wished the war was over, wished everyone would still be alive after. His heart sunk. It was the twenty-ninth, they had just under three days until G-Day, less than three days before the Princess of Potty Sludge would awaken in all her dirt-face glory.

Strangely, everyone seemed more… upbeat. Maybe that wasn't the right word for it, but that was the feeling Leo got. They were on the last lap, almost, one last hurrah. There was no room for moping around in the face of imminent death, just how much better gelato tasted with the end of the world looming.

Leo tried to mirror their mood outwardly, but they had not spent the last three days in the stables talking with Nike. Not unless you counted when Louisa ran in, threw a frying pan at the goddess and ran out again. Nike had not been very impressed by that, but not for the obvious reasons.

"YOU THROW JUST A FRYING PAN? YOU CAN DO BETTER THAN THAT, GIVE ME MORE, I CAN TAKE MORE PANS THAN YOU!" Leo wasn't sure that was a good idea and tasked Frank with the wonderful job of keeping Louisa entertained. He wasn't sure Frank had forgiven him yet.

Piper put her ice cream cup down.

"So, the island of Delos is right across the harbour. Who's going?"

"Me." Leo said immediately, gaining bewildered stares. "What?" He demanded. "I'm diplomatic and stuff. Frank and Hazel volunteered to back me up."

"We did?" Frank lowered his half-eaten apple. "I mean, yeah, we did."

"Suspicious." Louisa murmured, narrowing her eyes at them. Hazel avoided her gaze, looking to Leo. Her golden eyes flashed in the sunlight.

"Leo, did you have a dream or something about this?"

"Yes," Leo blurted, "sort of. Trust me on this one, guys, I need to talk to Apollo and Artemis. I've got an idea I need to bounce off them." Annabeth frowned, seemingly ready to protest. Jason spoke up before she could.

"If Leo has an idea," he said, "we need to trust him."

"Given his track record of ideas," Louisa said, still squinting suspiciously at Leo sidelong, "I don't think so somehow."

"Thanks, Lou, my self-confidence just shot through the roof." Leo deadpanned.

"Ignore her, Leo," Percy advised, "she just wants to kick Apollo in the face."

"What, why?"

"Stole my bow."

"_Why_?"

"'Cos I won 'n' the only thing he could do without pissin' Dad off was stealin' my bow." She grinned wickedly. "Didn't think about not pissin' me off though, did he?"

"OK, I have a question." Frank chimed up. "Every time we mention some god or some monster or _something_, you've always got a tie to it. _How_? _When did you have the time_?"

"Ya'll be amazed what I can do when I ain't puttin' up with dickheads." She jabbed a thumb at her brother. "I've caused less trouble these last few months, bro, I ain't happy."

"Wait, you've caused _less_ trouble?" Annabeth sat forward, frowning slightly. "How can _you_ possibly cause _more _trouble?" Louisa just smiled sweetly.

"Anyway," Percy shook his head, pointing his spoon as Leo, "when you see Apollo, _do not_ mention haiku. Just don't."

"Why not?" Hazel quizzed. "Isn't he the god of poetry?"

"Just trust me on that one."

"Got it." Leo stood. "If they have a souvenir shop on Delos, I'll bring ya'll back some bobbleheads."

"Don't 'ya'll' them, that's my thing!" Louisa smacked his leg. Leo looked down, wrinkling his nose.

"You're not getting a bobblehead."

"Why'd I need one when you're here, Valdez?" She smirked at him. Leo contemplated dropping something on her head, realised she could probably turn him into a real bobblehead and, with that image in his mind, he looked to Hazel and Frank. Louisa snickered. "That's what I thought, _bitch_."

* * *

Frank turned into a giant eagle to fly over to Delos. Leo and Hazel raced across on Arion, who didn't want bobbleheads either. Percy, sensing his sister was looking to cause trouble for the rest of them, gave her the oh-so-important task of lookout. "We've got repairs to do, Lou, and I take it you're not in a very helpful, repairing mood, are you?"

"No."

"Then go keep watch."

"No." Percy took a deep breath, exhaling slowly. She smirked.

"Sisters are overrated." He muttered, walking away.

"Still better than brothers!" She called.

So, once again, she sat on the edge of the ship, dangling her feet over the water. She played with a length of rope, practising her knots and muttering to herself. A sea serpent popped up about fifty metres away. "Sup." Louisa nodded at it. It hissed. Louisa hissed back.

_Hungry_, it said, _demigods yummy_.

"Demigods not yummy. I will _personally_ give ya indigestion."

_Hungry_, it repeated, sounding uncertain. It sniffed the air. _Sea daughter_. It recoiled, hissing again. _Will find yummy away from sea daughter_.

"Good for you." It circled and disappeared under the waves. Louisa sighed, swinging her legs. "I'm bored." She said to no-one in particular. She glanced over her shoulder, saw Jason flying about to patch up the sails. Piper and Annabeth were double- and triple-checking the rigging. Percy was checking the oars, manipulating the water to test how each one moved.

There was a clatter on her other side, steam puffed into her face with a whistle. She looked round in time to see Buford- more particularly, his Mini-Hedge, glaring down at her, hands on his hips.

"FIFTY LAPS OF THIS SHIP, PUT SOME CLOTHES ON!"

"Buford," Louisa caught the table by the handle of his drawer, "the only reason I ain't pitched you overboard is Leo 'n' he ain't here right now." Buford steamed, his legs scuttling on the floor in his haste to get away.

"Oy! Stop bullying Buford!" Piper called.

"I'm not bullyin' him, I'm teachin'!"

"And what could _you_ possibly teach him?" Louisa looked back to see Piper, hands on hips, smirking, brows raised in question. Louisa grinned lopsidedly.

"Where'd ya want me ta start?"

"PUT SOME CLOTHES ON!"

"I WILL DROWN YOU!"

"YOU CAN'T DROWN A TABLE!"

"TRY ME, BITCH!"

"WHY ARE WE YELLING?" Percy joined in.

"CAN I YELL TOO?" Jason called.

"ONLY I'M ALLOWED TA YELL, FUCK OFF!"

* * *

Shortly after Piper had rescued Buford, Louisa had been sent away. Percy took on guard duty, shushing her from yelling some more. Louisa blew a raspberry and went to find the only other person on the ship that could yell and get away with it- Nike.

"YOU CALL THAT YELLING? I'VE HEARD _BABIES_ YELL LOUDER THAN YOU!"

"I've heard babies makin' more sense than you." Louisa retorted. She sat cross-legged in front of the goddess. She was trussed up in a net of Leo's design and ropes, stuffed in one of the stalls. Nike swore at her in Ancient Greek and then Latin, and then her split personalities launched vulgarities at the other in their native tongue. Louisa sighed. "OY!" She smacked her fist on the inside wall of the stall and Nike glared at her. "I got a question for ya."

"BRING IT ON, I CAN ANSWER ALL QUESTIONS!"

"Why's Leo been comin' ta talk ta ya?"

"I CAN'T ANSWER THAT QUESTION!"

"Oh, for fuck's sake." Louisa put her head in her hands. "Gods," she decided, "are the most _annoyin'_ things to ever walk this earth 'n' I've dealt with _Octavian_." She glared at Nike. "Just tell me, what's Leo been sayin'? Is he plannin' somethin'?" Nike grumbled and whined, gaze darting about the floor. Louisa sighed. "Is he in danger?"

"YOU ALL ARE!"

"I noticed, but is he in _danger_ danger?"

"YOU ALL ARE IN _DANGER_ DANGER! THAT'S THE BEST KIND OF DANGER!"

"I'm gonna put you in _danger_ danger in a minute." Louisa muttered. Nike considered her. "What?" She demanded.

"You wish to know." She said. Louisa marvelled at her- she didn't realise Nike could _not_ yell. "You wish to know everything you can to help your friends, but it is not me you should be asking for secrets. Sometimes," the goddess sat up a little straighter, "sometimes, you must step aside and let your friends help themselves." Louisa's chest felt tight. She bit the inside of her cheek. Nike's form flickered, splitting with Victoria and screaming.

"Nike." Louisa said, focusing her mind on the goddess's Greek aspect. Nike stabilised, groaning.

"You will face a trial suited to your flaw. You will help your friends then, but not yourself." Nike stared at her, eyes dazed yet knowing. "But you will not learn otherwise."

"Learn? Learn what? What trial?"

"Learn." Nike insisted. "There is much to learn."

"Like _what_?" Louisa growled. Nike opened her mouth to reply. Victoria emerged, screaming and fighting.

"KILL THE GREEKS!"

"DEATH TO THE ROMANS!" and then both sides shrieked: "ONLY ONE CAN WIN!" Louisa pushed herself up, reluctantly restraining herself from knocking the goddess's teeth down her throat. She stomped out, heading to her cabin. Percy was just coming out as she opened the door, hopping back in surprise.

"Hey." He grinned. Then his smile faded. "Hey, what's wrong?"

"Nothin'. Headache." He looked dubious, but didn't press. "You feelin' any better?"

"A little light-headed, but I'm OK." He half-smiled. Louisa put a hand on his chest, pushing with her senses.

"Well, there ain't any more poison in ya system. Go 'n' get some food. I'm gonna nap." Percy nodded, stepping to one side. Louisa collapsed on her bunk, grumbling into her pillow. She felt Percy's gaze linger on her for a moment. "I can't nap with people starin' at me, bro."

"I'll come and get you when the others are back."

"Thanks." He shut the door quietly behind him. "Stupid victory goddess." She muttered. "Stupid Leo."

Her nap came quickly, despite her grump. She fell almost immediately into a "Stupid dream." She saw Reyna, ducking, echoes of an explosion ringing through the warehouse she stood in. Around her, a small group of Hunters and Amazons. Louisa hadn't met Hylla before, but she recognised her, with the golden belt and how much of a spitting image of Reyna she was.

"Get out of here!" A ginger-haired Hunter ordered, readying her bow. She turned and Louisa recognised Phoebe. She faced the shredded remains of metal doors. Two others Hunters, Celyn and Naomi, ran to the smoking wreckage. They hardly made it, cut down by black arrows. Numbness seemed to claw out Louisa's heart. Phoebe screamed with rage. She shot silver arrows in return fire, Amazons rushed forward with swords and shields.

"Reyna!" Hylla grabbed her sister's arm. "We must leave!"

"We can't just-"

"My guards will buy you time! Your quest _must_ succeed!" Hylla dragged her away. They reached the side door. Louisa followed them, pulled along just as much as Reyna had been. They looked back. Dozens of grey wolves were pouring into the warehouse, quickly met by the Amazons. The smoke-filled doorway was piled with bodies of the fallen. Celyn, Naomi, Phoebe, warriors who had been alive for centuries. Phoebe, who had lived for thousands of years, now sprawled unmoving. Her eyes were wide with shock, an oversized black-and-red arrow buried in her gut.

An Amazon with auburn hair in a ponytail charged forward, long knives in her hands. She leaped over the bodies and the smoke engulfed her.

"They'll die!" Reyna yelled, Hylla pulling her into the passageway. They began to run. "They'll all die! There has to be something-"

"Don't be stupid!" Hylla's eyes were bright with tears. "Orion outfoxed us. He's turned the ambush into a massacre. All we can do now is hold him back while you escape. You _must_ get that statue to the Greeks and defeat Gaia!" Louisa cursed- she _knew_ she should have gone with them. She had unfinished business with Orion, she could have _helped_.

But Reyna had told her to stay with the ship. Now she was in danger. Hunters and Amazons were dead, more were risking their lives. It shouldn't have been them. _It shouldn't have been them_.

Hylla led Reyna up a flight of stairs, through a maze of corridors and rounded a corner into a locker room. They came face-to-face with a large grey wolf. Before it even fully accepted they were there, Hylla punched it between the eyes and it crumpled. "Over here." Hylla instructed, dashing to the nearest row of lockers. "Your weapons are inside, hurry." Reyna snatched up her knife, her sword and her pack. Then Hylla directed her up a spiralling metal stairwell. "I don't have time to explain," Hylla said at the top, a dead-end at the ceiling, "stay strong. Stay close." Reyna looked at her, bewildered- what could possibly be worse than the bloody nightmare behind them?

Hylla pushed open a trap door and climbed through. Reyna and dream-Louisa followed. Right into Reyna's old home.

Louisa had never been here. But she knew. Reyna had entrusted her with it. She looked around the main room as Reyna did too, worryingly pale in the opaque skylights glowing on twenty-foot ceilings. The walls were stark white, devoid of decoration. The furniture was oak, steel and white leather. Either side of the room, terraces overhung, giving the impression they were being watched. Reyna had told Louisa she often _was_. The trapdoor had opened into a massive fireplace.

Louisa looked to Reyna, the dream was beginning to dissolve, shaking.

"Lou, wake up."

"No…"

"Wake up!" Percy's voice was tight, yet sharp. He shook Louisa's shoulder a little harshly and her eyes snapped open. She jerked, sitting bolt upright. She gasped, trembling. Percy sat next to her, she gripped his hand, drawing in deep, rasping breaths. "What happened, are you OK?" Percy demanded, brow knit with concern. "You've been yelling, are you OK? Lou?"

"Reyna… danger… Hunters…"

"Breathe first, Lou, then tell me." He rubbed her back as she fought to get her lungs back into working order. Cold sweat beaded on her skin, she wiped irritably at her forehead and swore.

"I should've gone!" She raged suddenly, striking the wall and startling her brother.

"W-what?" He stammered. Louisa gave him a rundown, battling to keep her temper long enough to explain. As she spoke of the fallen, the colour drained from his face and he looked down. His grip tightened on her hand, now clammy. She held back the details of Reyna's childhood home. She simmered as words finally failed her, drumming her fist sharply on her thigh. "But…" Percy's brow furrowed. "How… how do _you_ know Orion?"

"He don't like strong women, wants ta take 'em out."

"Why?"

"Because he's weak 'n' pathetic 'n' butthurt Artemis 'friend-zoned' him. 'N' killed him." She added.

"Riiiight, but _how do you know him_?" Percy frowned. Louisa sighed, letting his hand go. She wiped her hands, her face on her blanket, bundling the material tightly in her fists.

"Early last year, before we met, I teamed up with the Hunters. They'd been havin' trouble with Orion. He wouldn't attack when Artemis was there 'n' on one of those days, he found me." She wiped her face again, trying to ignore his scowl. "Obviously, me bein' a daughter of Poseidon… well, he didn't like that."

"He tried to kill you." Percy summarised.

"Yeah, but I was near a lake. If someone's gonna kill me, I ain't gonna make it easy for 'em."

"You don't make anything easy."

"I know." She smiled grimly. "Anyway, some Hunters turned up." She hesitated. "Long story short, we spent a few weeks trackin' him down. Me 'n' Thalia don't get along-"

"I heard."

"-'n' we nearly had him." She finished curtly, pursing her lips. Percy frowned.

"You're not telling me something."

"Yep."

"Why?"

"Nope." She shook her head. Percy sighed irritably.

"So, what now?"

"I should've gone. I should've gone, it shouldn't've been them, I should've gone." Her fingers weaved with wild locks of her hair, pulling taut as frustration, grief, anger settled deep in a grimace, tears pricking the corners of her eyes.

"Lou-" Percy tried to put a hand on her knee, but she jerked away, turning her back to him. "Lou, I'm sorry, I-"

"Don't."

"But-"

"Just… go. Please, just leave me alone."


	14. Chapter 14

**To JasonGraceIsDead- yes, poor Frank! **

**To RandomFanAuthor- I'll add it to my list! ^_^ And I have no idea what the ship name for ReynaXLou is, I was just going to let you all decide! :P And thank you, I'm doing my best! :D**

* * *

At the time, Nico was just trying to get Reyna out of there so they could carry on with the statue. But later, once his heart stopped slamming in his ribcage like a jackhammer in an earthquake, he took great satisfaction in cutting Orion's bowstring and how it recoiled with a hundred pounds of force, straight into the giant's nose. He did _not_, however, take _any_ joy in his new loud and tropical shirt. That had been Coach's doing and Nico realised he may not ever live it down.

So, between his new attire, death and the Buford Zippy Mart, Nico was having a hard time picking the least painful one. At least, in the Land of the Dead, he knew his way around. And the food was fresher.

"How come they've named a whole town after Leo's table?" Coach grumbled.

"I think the town was here first, Coach." Nico said. Coach grunted, picking up a box of powdered doughnuts.

"Yeah, maybe you're right. These look at _least_ a hundred years old." He sighed forlornly. "I miss those Portuguese farturas." Nico couldn't think of Portugal without his arms paining him. Werewolf claw marks were still red and swollen on his biceps. Coach lugged their basket to the till, hefting it up for the cashier.

"Whoa," the cashier eyed Nico's injuries, "been fighting a bobcat, have ya?"

"Werewolf." Nico replied without missing a beat. The cashier nodded, dead serious. He lowered his voice.

"I heard there's a bunch of werewolves living underground. Also heard one of 'em works in this shop." He winked and began scanning their items- a first aid kit, a pad of paper for Coach and as much junk food and soda that still looked edible. Nico advised the cashier to stock up on silver, getting elbowed in the ribs by Coach. Once they left, the satyr tweaked his ear.

"I see why you get on so well with Lou." He chided.

"Nah, Lou would have convinced him she was a werewolf. And possibly try and convince him to let her turn him too."

"Yeah, that sounds about right." Coach nodded.

They walked back to the campsite in silence, down a two-lane road under the blazing sun. South Carolina, they had landed in, surrounded by overgrown fields punctuated by telephone poles and trees covered in kudzu vines. The town of Buford was a small collection of portable metal sheds, maximum of seven, and that was- most likely- the town's population.

Nico squinted up at the sky. He wasn't exactly a sunshine person **(YES YOU **_**FUCKING **_**ARE, LITTLE MAN!) **but for once, he revelled in the warmth. He felt… more substantial, more anchored to the world of the living. With every shadow jump, he had to try harder and harder to come back. His hand passed through solid objects more times than it didn't, even in broad daylight. His belt and sword fell around his ankles numerous times for no apparent reason. He had even walked through a tree once, when he hadn't been paying attention. The dryad inside had been _most_ displeased. It took some flowery words of nonsense from Coach to soothe her.

_Maybe it's time you came out of the shadows_. Jason Grace's voice echoed in his mind. Nico suspected he was right. How much longer was it before he became shadows permanently?

They always knew the way back to the campsite, courtesy of the Athena Parthenos. In its new camouflage netting, it glittered silver like an extremely flashy, forty-foot-tall ghost. The tent sat in a grove of trees, about thirty yards from the road. Nearby, a rectangular cairn stood- hundreds of stones piled in the shape of an oversized grave with a granite obelisk for a headstone. Nico considered it warily- something felt off about it, but he couldn't quite place _what_.

Reyna sat cross-legged in the mouth of the tent, watching Aurum and Argentum play. Since their repair by the Amazons, they were full of energy and frisky, playing keep-away with one of Coach's handballs. Their enthusiasm did not reflect into their owner.

She smiled as they approached, but her eyes remained dark and cold. She had hardly spoken since leaving San Juan. Even Nico's stupid parrots-and-palm-trees shirt could hardly make a dent in her mood, but he understood. Too many lives had been lost. Too many still hung in the balance, her sister included. And, to top it all off, no monsters had attacked them, setting Nico's nerves on edge.

Nico didn't like the Hunters of Artemis, not after Bianca. And when Thalia had become their leader and started recruiting even more young women, it grated. To Nico, it felt like Bianca had been forgotten, replaced. As if she could _ever_ be replaced. Finding the Hunters' note at Barrachina about kidnapping Reyna, he had torn apart the courtyard in a blind rage. He didn't want the Hunters taking another important person from him.

Fortunately, Reyna had returned. But she was distant and dismissive. There had been an incident on the Calle San Jose, Reyna's old road. Ghosts on the balcony, whispering accusations. He tried to ask her about it, but she shut him down, turned away. He wanted to help; he knew first-hand what it was like, letting ghosts into your head. But he couldn't criticise Reyna for spurning his help or wanting to deal with it alone- how hypocritical would that be?

Nico sat beside her.

"The main thing about ghosts," he said quietly, "most of them have lost their voices." Reyna was tense next to him. _I don't want to talk about it_ vibes radiated her almost as strongly as anger from the Athena Parthenos, but Nico kept talking. He wasn't sure why he was encouraging her to share; it wasn't his style or his business, but he couldn't stay quiet. "In Asphodel, millions of them wander around aimlessly, trying to remember who they were. You know why the end up that way? Because, in life, they never took a stand. They never spoke out, so they were never heard." He paused. "Your voice is your identity. If you don't use it," he hunched his shoulders, "you're already halfway to Asphodel." Reyna scowled, glaring at him sidelong.

"Is that your idea of a pep talk?" She demanded. Coach cleared his throat.

"I'm going to write some letters." He took his notepad and headed into the woods. He had been writing a lot the last few days, and not just to Mellie. He kept the details close to his chest, but hinted he was calling in some favours to help them. Nico wondered if he had been writing to Jackie Chan.

Nico opened the shopping bag at his feet, retrieving a box of Little Debbie Oatmeal Crème Pies. He offered one to Reyna. She wrinkled her nose distastefully.

"Those look like they went stale in dinosaur times."

"They probably did." Nico agreed. "Be grateful we didn't get the doughnuts." He didn't complain; he would have happily eaten the dinosaurs that had made the pies. His appetite had grown substantially- shadow travel was hungry work- and the only thing he turned his nose up at was pomegranate seeds.

Reyna picked out a pie, taking a bite.

"The ghosts in San Juan…" She said, eyes clouding over. "They were my ancestors." Nico remained quiet. A breeze rustled the statue's netting. Reyna took a breath. "My family goes back a long way," she continued, "I don't know the whole story. My ancestors lived in Spain when it was a Roman province. My great-great-something-something grandfather was a conquistador. He came to Puerto Rico with Ponce de León."

"There was a ghost wearing conquistador armour." Nico recalled. Reyna nodded.

"That's him."

"So… is your whole family descended from Bellona? I thought you and Hylla were her daughters, not legacies." Too late, he realised he shouldn't have mentioned Hylla. Despair twisted Reyna's features, she quickly turned away.

"We _are_ her daughters." She said quietly. "We're the first actual children of Bellona in the Ramírez-Arellano family, but Bellona has always favoured our clan." She bit into her pie, giving herself an excuse to be quiet and compose herself. "Millennia ago, she decreed we would play pivotal roles in many battles."

"Like you're doing now."

"Perhaps." She brushed crumbs from her chin. "Some of my ancestors have been heroes. Some have been villains. The ghost with the gunshot wounds in his chest?" Nico inclined his head. "A pirate. The most famous in Puerto Rican history. He was known as the Pirate Cofresí, but his family name was Ramírez de Arellano." She sighed. "Our house, the family villa… it was built with money from treasure he buried." Nico nearly said that was cool. It kind of was- before he had discovered Mythomagic, he had been super into pirates. It might have been one of the reasons he had been so smitten with Percy, a son of the sea god.

"The other ghosts?" He asked.

"The guy in the U.S Navy uniform, he's my great-great-uncle from World War Two. The first Latino submarine commander." She shrugged, biting into her pie. "You get the idea- _a lot _of warriors. Bellona was our patron goddess for generations."

"But she never had any demigod children in your family. Until you."

"She… fell in love with my father. Julian. He… he was a solider in Iraq and-" Her voice broke. She tossed aside the last of her pie. "I can't do this, I can't talk about him." Nico didn't push her. What right did he have?

He set down his pie, his fingertips turning to smoke as a cloud passed overhead. His nerves rattled, the pie churning in his stomach. His hands became solid again upon the sun's return, he could hear his heartbeat in his ears.

"My dad gave me a present once." He said, still examining his fingers. "A zombie." Reyna did a double-take, staring at him. "His name is Jules-Albert." Nico continued. "He's French."

"A… French zombie?"

"Mm. Hades isn't the best dad, but occasionally he has these _I want to know my son_ moments. I guess he thought Jules-Albert was a peace offering. He's my chauffeur." The corner of Reyna's mouth twitched and she pressed her lips together. "Yes, yes, a French zombie chauffeur. It's mad, I know." He gave a small smile. He hadn't told Hazel about Jules-Albert. Hadn't even told Louisa. Gods, he hoped she never found about Jules-Albert. There was too much that could go wrong there.

Nico set his hands in his lap. "Hades had this idea that I should try to act like a modern teenager. Makes friends that didn't flood his throne room on every visit-"

"Lou flooded the throne room of the Lord of the Dead?"

"Several times." Nico nodded.

"Why doesn't that surprise me?"

"Are you sure you like her?" At Reyna's glower, Nico hurried on. "Anyway, he thought I should get to know the twenty-first century and he vaguely understood that mortal parents drive their kids around a lot. Obviously he couldn't do that, so his solution was a zombie."

"To take you to the mall." Reyna said, voice trembling with the effort of containing laughter. "Or the drive through at In-N-Out Burger."

"Something like that." Nico agreed. His nerves were beginning to settle. "Nothing helps you make friends faster than a rotting corpse with a French accent." Reyna did laugh that time.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't make fun."

"Don't tell Lou." He requested. Reyna nodded. "Point is… I don't always like talking about my dad. He does his best, but…" He grimaced and shook his head. Reyna hummed in agreement, seriousness seeping into her features once more. "But sometimes… we do have to talk about them." He looked Reyna in the eye. She drew her legs to her chest, hugging them.

"I never knew my father in his better days. Hylla remembers he used to be gentler when she was very small, before I was born. He was a good soldier. Fearless, disciplined, cool under fire. He was… handsome, could be very charming. Bellona blessed him, as she had with so many of my ancestors, but that wasn't enough for him. He wanted her for his wife." _What is it with men and ownership of women_? Nico thought. "My father completely dedicated himself to Bellona. It's one thing to respect the power of war. But it's another thing to fall in love with it. I don't know how he did it, but he won Bellona's heart. My sister was born just before he went to Iraq, for his last tour of duty. He was honourably discharged. Came home a hero. If… if he had been able to adjust to civilian life, everything might have been alright."

"But he couldn't."

"No. Shortly after he got back, he had one last encounter with Bellona. That's, um, that's the reason I was born. Bellona gave him a glimpse of the future. She explained why our family was so important to her. She said the legacy of Rome would never fail as long as one of our bloodline remained, fighting to defend our homeland. Those words… I think she meant them to be reassuring, but my father became fixated on them." Despite the heat, Reyna drew her cloak around her. "Part of the problem was PTSD. He couldn't stop thinking about the war. And he was in constant pain- a roadside bomb left shrapnel in his shoulder and chest. But… it was more than that. As I was growing up, he… changed. He was paranoid, he thought Bellona's words were a warning that our bloodline would be exterminated and the legacy of Rome would fail. He saw enemies everywhere, collected weapons, turned our home into a fortress. Come night-time, he would lock Hylla and I in our rooms. If we tried to sneak out, he would scream and throw furniture. He… he terrified us." Her voice trembled and she ducked her head. "Sometimes, he saw _us_ as the enemy, convinced we were spying on him." She sniffed. "The ghosts began to appear. They fed his suspicions, things got worse. Until one day, he… he just stopped being my father. He became one of the ghosts."

"A mania." Nico said, ice flooding his chest. Reyna nodded, eyes squeezed shut.

"We escaped the house as often as we could, but we would… have to go back, eventually. Face his rage. We didn't know what else to do, we had nowhere else to go. The last time… the last time we returned, he… he was so angry, he was literally glowing. He couldn't physically touch anything, but he could move them. He tore up floors. Ripped open the sofa. He tossed a chair and it hit Hylla, I thought she was dead. I grabbed the nearest weapon I could find, I- I didn't know it was Imperial gold. I ran at my father's spirit and…"

"You vaporised him." Nico finished quietly. She opened her eyes, looking up at the sky as tears fell onto her cheeks.

"I killed my own father." She breathed.

"No." Nico shook his head. "No, Reyna, you didn't. That wasn't him, it was a ghost. Even worse, it was a mania. You were protecting your sister." She twisted her silver ring.

"You don't understand. Patricide is the worst crime a Roman can commit. It's unforgivable."

"You _didn't_ kill your father," Nico insisted, "you dispelled a _ghost_."

"It doesn't matter!" She sobbed. "If word of this got out to Camp Jupiter-"

"You'd be executed." They both startled at the new voice, on their feet in a second. At the edge of the woods, stood a Roman legionnaire in full armour, holding a pilum. His mop of brown hair hung in his eyes, his nose had been broken at least once, his smile was cold and sinister. "Thank you for your confession, _former_ praetor. You've made my job much easier."

Coach chose that moment to scamper back into the clearing, waving a paper plane over his head and cheering about good news. He froze when he saw the Roman. "Um, nevermind." He crumpled the paper and ate it. Aurum and Argentum were already either side of Reyna, snarling at the intruder.

"Bryce Lawrence." Reyna said. "Octavian's newest attack dog. Gods, how I wish I hadn't pulled Louisa away that day." Bryce's smile withered and he glowered at her.

"She will get her what's coming to her. Octavian promised it." He rounded on Nico, his smile returning. "It was easy tracking you, _graceus_. You stink of the Underworld." Nico readied his sword.

"It's much better in person," he said, "I can arrange a visit if you want." Bryce laughed.

"You can't frighten me, son of Hades. I'm a descendant of Orcus, the god of broken vows and eternal punishment. I've heard the screams in the Fields of Punishment myself." He sighed wistfully. "Music to my ears. Soon," his eyes glittered, green like pond-scum, "I'll be adding one more damned soul to the chorus." He grinned at Reyna. "Patricide, mm? Octavian will _love_ that. You're under arrest for multiple violations of Roman law." Reyna scoffed.

"You _being_ here is against Roman law. Romans don't quest alone. A mission has to be led by a centurion or higher. You're in probatio and even _that_ was a mistake. You can't arrest me." Bryce simply shrugged.

"In times of war, some rules have to be flexible. Once I bring you in for trial, I'll be rewarded with full membership to the legion. Maybe I'll even get promoted to centurion. Doubtless there will be vacancies after the war. Some officers won't survive, especially if their loyalties aren't in the right place." He tipped his chin up, as if in defiance. "Going to wait on _Louisa_ to fix your problems, former praetor? Oh, wait. She's not here. That's a shame."

"If you get past today," Reyna growled, "pray she doesn't find you."

"Aww, I always knew you had a little soft spot for her. She can come at me _all she likes_\- Octavian has plans for her."

"I don't know the proper Roman etiquette," Coach grunted, hefting his bat, "but can I clobber him now?"

"A faun." Bryce sneered. "Interesting. I heard the Greeks actually _trusted_ their goat men." Coach bleated, offended and stomping his hoof.

"I am a _satyr_! You can trust I'm going to put this bat upside your head, you stupid Roman!" He advanced, but as soon as his foot touched the cairn, the stones began to rumble. From the grave site, skeletal warriors clawed their way out, spartoi in tattered British redcoat uniforms. Coach backed up sharpish, but the first two skeletons grabbed his arms and hoisted him from the ground. His bat hit the earth with a dull _thud_ and he kicked his hooves, spluttering protests and threats.

Nico could only watch, paralysed, as more spartoi spewed forth. They multiplied so quickly, they were surrounded before he even decided where to swing his sword. Why hadn't he sensed so many dead, so close by?

"I forgot to mention," Bryce said, examining his dirty fingernails, "I'm actually not alone on this quest. These redcoats promised quarter to the colonials and then butchered them. I rather enjoy a good massacre, but their broken oaths damned their spirits and they are perpetually under the power of Orcus. Which also means they are under _my_ control." He pointed to Reyna. "Seize the girl."

The skeletal warriors crashed forward, arms extended for Reyna. Her dogs took down the first few. Then they were quickly subdued, pinned to the ground, bony hands clamping their muzzles shut. Redcoats grabbed Reyna's arms. Nico's senses snapped back and he slashed at the spartoi. His blade passed through them as if they weren't there. He tried willing them to dissolve, but it was like he didn't exist. Bryce laughed. "What's wrong, son of Hades?" He cooed mockingly. "Losing your grip?" Nico fought to push his way through, but there were too many. Bryce, Reyna, Coach- they may as well have been behind steel barricades.

"Nico, get out of here!" Reyna ordered. "Take the statue and go!"

"Yes, off you go!" Bryce agreed cheerily. "Your next shadow jump will be your last, but by all means! Take the Athena Parthenos! I can't wait to see how it works out for you!" Nico looked down at himself. He still held his sword, but his hands were dark, transparent. Even in the direct sunlight, he was dissolving into shadows. "It's your choice," Bryce taunted, "take the statue and disappear with it into oblivion. Or don't take it… I have orders to bring Reyna in alive, but the same wasn't said for you or the faun."

"Satyr!" Coach bellowed. He kicked a spartoi in its bony crotch, causing more pain to himself than it. "Stupid British dead guys!" He raged. Bryce poked him with his javelin.

"I wonder what your pain tolerance is. I've experimented on all kinds of animals. Even killed my own centurion. I've never tried a faun- sorry, _satyr_." He corrected with disgust and an eye roll. "You reincarnate, right? How much pain can you take before you turn into a patch of daisies?"

"Leave him alone." Nico warned. Bryce turned on him and Nico recalled- the broken nose. That was Louisa's doing.

"Or what?" Bryce quirked an eyebrow. "Try something Underworldy, Nico, please. I'd love to see it. Anything major will make you fade forever, but go ahead."

"Forget about them!" Reyna demanded, struggling. "If you want me as your prisoner, fine. I'll go willingly, just leave them alone!"

"A fine offer." Bryce mused, re-aiming his javelin a few inches from her face. "But you don't know what Octavian has planned for you. He's called in favours, spending the legion's money-"

"He has no right-"

"He does, actually. You forfeited your authority, running off to the ancient lands. On August first, Camp Half-Blood will finally understand how powerful an enemy Octavian is. I've seen the designs of his machines. Even _I'm_ impressed." Reyna struggled against the skeletons, swearing at him in Latin. She looked Nico in the eye while Bryce glanced around. A wave of courage and resilience solidified Nico. Reyna Ramírez-Arellano, in the face of death, had a huge reservoir of bravery to share.

Bryce considered the forest over his shoulder, thumbed his broken nose. "And still no Louisa."

"Why so focused on Louisa, Bryce?" Reyna smirked lopsidedly. "Scared?"

"Disappointed, actually." He sighed. "I was hoping she would see your trial- I will very much enjoy dragging you before a tribunal, forcing you to confess to killing your father… does Louisa know? She was always at your side, former praetor. You let her get away with far too much." He gestured at his face. "And you called me a hazard to the legion- she could have easily been its destruction and yet… you kept her around? Why was that?" Reyna glowered at him. "Doesn't matter anyway; Octavian has been waiting a long time to deal with her. As for you… I hope they'll execute you like they did in ancient times. Thrown into a river, tied in a sack with a rabid dog. I've always wanted to see that play out." He smiled. "I can't wait until your secret comes out." He flicked the point of his pilum across her face, leaving a line of blood.

Nico screamed and his rage exploded.


	15. Chapter 15

**To RandomFanAuthor- I thought he did it fantastically- even though Reyna had been too young to remember what he was like before the PTSD, she still knew the full effect of it. It's a shame, what can happen to a person like that, but it just shows how expansive Rick is with his characters. And I did consider the Bryce-making-Reyna-confess thing, buuuuuuut I had something else for... maybe two chapters away? I can't remember exactly! And I will die for Solangelo! **

**To HoO Fan- I wrote several of the Jackson kids stories a few years back, and I am planning/have made a small start on their rewrites because good _lord, _they're atrocious! I am going to try and make a start on ToA, but as the series isn't finished yet, I may just do a bit of dabbling, it all depends on how well another of my ideas goes down ^_^ **

**To theworstisgoingtohappen- that is a very Louisa comment! Thank you!**

* * *

Louisa eventually worked her way topside, muttering to herself. Percy was waiting for her, sat on the top step. He looked up as she approached. "They're back." He said. "How are you feeling?"

"Useless." She retorted, stomping past him. Leo, Frank and Hazel had waited for them. Leo smiled and waved. Frank and Hazel forced smiles, not looking Louisa in the eye. "What happened then?"

"Sadly, no bobbleheads," Leo shrugged, "Apollo and Artemis are a bit out of it, but I gave Apollo a Valdezinator for this." He flourished a yellow daisy. Louisa took a step away from it, wrinkling her nose. "Oh, right, allergies." Leo moved it away. "I thought it was mad too, but the curse of Delos is just a nickname, apparently. Basically, when Leto gave birth to Apollo and Artemis, Delos grew roots and these yellow flowers popped up. Apollo said they were a blessing, to mark their birth, and a curse because of Delos losing its floating island status."

"Tragic." Louisa said. Leo looked at her, brow knitting, as if he could sense something was off.

"And Gaia has raised Apollo's old enemy," Leo remembered, "Python, he's repossessed the Oracle of Delphi."

"_Python_?" Louisa demanded. Leo nodded. "Nope, I'm out, nope."

"We talked to Artemis," Hazel said, drawing Louisa back into the conversation with a pull on her arm, "she knows a lot about missile weapons-"

"Duh."

"-and told us Octavian has ordered Cyclopes-built onagers for the legion's attack on Camp Half-Blood." She cut Leo a look. "Our so-called _master engineer_ didn't know what an onager was."

"Big whoosh." Louisa said. Jason shook his head, smiling.

"They're the biggest, baddest catapults ever used by Roman armies and you _still_ call them 'big whoosh'."

"It's a less stupid name than 'onager'." Leo noted.

"_Thank_ _you_, Valdez. See," she stuck her tongue out at Jason, "Leo gets it."

"Yeah, but Leo's just as weird as you are."

"Guys," Hazel prompted, "whatever they're called, they're _bad_. He could completely destroy Camp Half-Blood without a single Roman casualty." The mood soured instantly. Louisa regarded her, folding her arms.

"_No, you can't kill Octavian, that would be bad_," she said in a sarcastic mimic, "_don't do it, Lou, it's a bad idea, we're already wanted criminals of Rome, he's not worth it, ya don't want that on your conscience-_ fuck's sake, you lot!" She fumed. "Ya'll even _realise_ how much _easier_ things would be if ya'll just _let me do my thing_?" She glared round at them all. No-one answered. "Bull_shit_. Valdez," Leo startled, "what's next?"

"Uh, Apollo gave me directions to find his son, uh… Asclepius."

"Let's go then." Louisa grumbled. Leo nodded.

"If it makes you feel better, Apollo doesn't like Octavian anymore. He wanted to shoot him down, but he can't from Delos."

"Shockin'ly, that don't make me feel better." Louisa deadpanned. "Let's _go_." Leo squeaked and dashed for the helm.

* * *

Nothing like the end of the world to feel highly motivated. The ship, in Louisa's eloquent words, was a 'fucked up pile of shit, demigods 'n' duct tape'. Leo tried to duct tape her mouth shut. She had tried to duct tape him to an oar. Piper whisked her away, letting Leo work for the night. He had primed the oar flaps, injected Styx water into the samophlange. Festus had been treated to his favourite beverage of thirty-weight motor oil and Tabasco sauce and Buford the Wonder Table had helped too, his Mini-Hedge yelling 'GIVE ME THIRTY PUSH-UPS!' at the engine.

Now, early hours of the morning, they hovered over the ancient temple complex of Asclepius.

"Ah, that's beautiful." Leo grinned. Percy popped up at his side, frowning over the railing.

"Looks like more rubble." He said. Annabeth stopped beside him, elbowing him and shaking her head. She pointed to the disc-shaped structure about fifty yards off their port side.

"There."

"See, the architect knows her stuff." Leo smirked. Percy regarded him coolly, still only seeing rubble. The others began to gather round. Louisa poked Leo in the side, making him jump, snickering as he pouted.

"What are we looking at?" Frank asked.

"Ruins." Percy answered.

"Ruins." Louisa agreed. Leo sighed, deciding to ignore them both. He looked up at Frank and smiled sweetly.

"Señor Zhang," Frank took a step back, "you know how you're _always_ saying, 'Leo, you are the only true genius among demigods'? _Well_," Leo pressed on before Frank could burst his bubble, "it turns out there are _other_ true geniuses, can you believe that? One of them made that work of art down there." He pointed.

"It's a stone circle." Frank said flatly. "Probably the foundation of an old shrine." Piper, next to him, shook her head, squinting at the disc-shape.

"No, it's more than that. See the ridges and grooves carved around the rim?"

"Like the teeth of a gear." Jason realised.

"And those concentric rings." Hazel pointed to the middle of the structure, where curved stones formed a bulls-eye. "It reminds me of Pasiphaë's pendant- the symbol of the Labyrinth."

"Huh," Leo scratched his chin, "hadn't thought of that." He looked to the twins. "See, _they_ get it. Why don't you?"

"Ruins." They chorused.

"Think _mechanical._" Leo insisted. He looked to Frank and Hazel. "Where did we see concentric circles like that before?"

"The laboratory under Rome." Frank answered.

"The Archimedes lock on the door!" Hazel recalled. Percy snorted, shaking his head.

"You're telling me _that's_ a massive stone lock? It's, like, fifty feet wide."

"Leo might be right-"

"Why do you sound surprised at that?"

"-in ancient times," Annabeth continued, "the temple of Asclepius was like the General Hospital of Greece. _Everybody_ came for the best healing. Aboveground, it was a major city, but it was said the real action happened underground. That's where the high priests had their intensive-care-super-magical-type compound, accessed by a secret passage."

"Ooh, love secret passages." Louisa grinned.

"So," Percy itched his ear, "if that's a big lock, how do we get the key?"

"Way ahead of you, Aquaman." Leo grinned. Percy stared at him.

"OK," he said, pointing a finger at Leo, "do _not_ call me _Aquaman_. That's even worse than _water boy_." Leo smiled sweetly. Percy poked him in the forehead, sighing. "Come on them, so-called true genius, where's the key?"

"Giant grabber arm!"

"I thought you were kidding?" Jason quizzed.

"Bro, I _never_ kid about giant grabber arms!" Archimedes had originally designed it to pluck enemy ships from the water. Leo had installed it rather easily, compared to other modifications he had made, and had found another use for it. With Jason flying about and giving him directions, he used his trackpad and turntable controls to manoeuvre and open the claw.

"OK, you're good!" Jason called. The prong were settled in the grooves around the stone structure. Leo checked the aerial stabilisers and the monitor's video feed.

"Righto, little buddy," he patted the Archimedes sphere, "your turn." He activated the sphere. The grabber arm began to turn like a corkscrew. The outer ring of stone turned with it. It made a horrible grinding sound and rumbled grumpily, but thankfully didn't shatter.

Then the claw detached itself and fixed on the second ring, turning it in the opposite direction. Piper stood next to him at the controls, kissed his cheek and grinned.

"It's working, Leo, you're amazing!"

"I _have_ been telling you all that. You should listen to me more often."

"Nah." Louisa said behind him. "I'm more awesome than you."

"Yeah, well, you're the literal princess of the ocean. Kind of hard to beat." Below them, the last stone ring turned and settled with a deep, pneumatic hiss. The entire fifty-foot pedestal telescoped downward into a spiral staircase.

Hazel exhaled, glancing at Leo worriedly.

"Even from up here, I can sense bad stuff at the bottom of those stairs." She hesitated. "Something… large and dangerous. You sure you don't want me to come along?"

"Thanks, Hazel," Leo smiled reassuringly, "but we'll be good." He patted Piper on the back. "Me, Piper and Jason, we're old pros at large and dangerous." Louisa cleared her throat, gesturing at herself with both hands. Leo looked around. "Ya'll hear something?"

"_Stop using 'ya'll', that's my thing_!"

Frank held out the vial of Pylosian mint, lifting it out of Louisa's reach when she made a grab for it. Leo eventually got it, waving Louisa away.

"Don't break it." Frank advised.

"Don't break the vial of deadly poison," Leo nodded, "_never_ would've occurred to me, Zhang, thanks."

"Shut up, Valdez." Frank picked him up in a bear hug. "And be careful."

"Ribs." Leo wheezed.

"Sorry." Frank set him down, holding his shoulders. Annabeth and Percy wished them good luck as Jason returned. Frank messed Leo's hair.

"Ready?" Jason asked.

"No, I have to redo my hair now." Leo made a face at Frank. Jason rolled his eyes, summoning the winds and carting him, Piper and Leo down to the surface. Louisa moved to the rail.

"DON'T DO ANYTHIN' I WOULD DO!" She called after them. "OR I'LL KILL YA!"

* * *

Louisa took this less-idiots-time to go and annoy Nike. She left the others to potter about above deck, doing whatever little task they could to keep themselves busy. But she couldn't settle. Between her dream and Hazel's comment about large and dangerous stuff, her nerves were frying. And what was with that hug Frank had given Leo? Why did it seem so _final_? She clenched her fists; they were hiding something. Whatever had happened on Delos, the trio were keeping it to themselves.

Nike smirked as she approached.

"Sometimes you must step aside and let your friends help themselves." If Louisa heard that _one more time_…

"Can ya at least tell me if they're OK? Nico, Reyna, Coach. I had… this dream 'n'…" She sat in front of the goddess, quietly explaining her dream. Whether Nike listened or not, she wasn't sure. Talking about it made it all fresh in her mind, but the gnawing sensation that had lingered in her chest since the nightmare ebbed slightly.

"The hunter you speak of has slain dozens of Hunters and Amazons. He pursues your friends still."

"Will they make it?" Louisa demanded.

"The boy is so close to slipping into darkness. He will be one with his father's realm should he continue." Ice twisted Louisa's veins, the gnawing sensation increased tenfold. "You seek reassurance, not truth. You wish to help, but you are useless. You're in the wrong place for victory." Nike smiled serenely.

"There has ta be _somethin'_ I can do!"

"Not yet. Not until-" Nike cut off with a scream, jolting and fighting her restraints. Her head jerked from side to side, Victoria mirroring her movements. "DEFEAT THE GREEKS!" She screamed. "NO, BRING THE ME THE ROMANS' HEADS! WE MUST WIN, WE MUST WIN, WE MUST WIN! I CAN DO MORE PUSH UPS THAN YOU, LET'S DO THIS!" She strained her arms, leaning as far forward as she could. Louisa waited for her to settle, temper boiling under her skin. Nike froze, regaining control. She looked up at Louisa. "Sometimes you must step aside and let your friends help themselves." Louisa inhaled deeply, closing her eyes for the count of ten.

"What were ya gonna say before you started screamin'?" Nike stared at her. "I asked if there was anythin' I could do 'n' you said 'not yet, not until-' 'n' then started screamin'. Again." She added harshly. Nike blinked. For a moment, Louisa thought she wasn't going to answer and, while not surprising, she still had the urge to wring the goddess's neck.

"From one island to oblivion." Nike breathed. "You will not see the final battle."


	16. Chapter 16

**Updating slightly earlier today as I'm out playing D&D later! ^_^ I'm a seven foot tall dragon lady that can breathe lightning and likes to steal people's arms! ^_^ **

**To RandomFanAuthor- I know, it's madness! And yes, a couple of new names this time, I'm so pleased! Love seeing the reviews going up, it's like YAY! And that's really sweet of you, thank you! Yes, bad omen, it's fantastic, I love it, you won't, mwhahaha!**

**To HoO Fan- That was amazing ominous music, what are you on about? And you're welcome! I love throwing bits of Louisa-ness in, I just wanted to change the team's dynamic a little- less love triangles, more loving chaos, you know? ^_^ And thank you so much! (But please don't read anything from more than a year ago, it's really bad! :P ) Favourite HoO character, that's not fair! Reyna, Leo, Frank, Coach, Piper, Jason, Hazel... uuggggh don't make me choose! I am SO EXCITED for Tyrant's Tomb and SO NOT READY, my brain kind of imploded after reading Burning Maze, I can't even D: and if I was to remove someone from the Seven? Oooh, I don't think I could do that! I'd take Jason, straight away, wouldn't even let him look at a Burning Maze, hell no! And ask as many questions as you like, anytime! ^_^ And sorry about Lou, I can sort of hear her in my head and I'm used to writing her, I'll try and make it less Lou-ish if you want!**

* * *

Nico could only remember one thing that had happened- the screaming. Reyna and Coach later filled him in, but he wasn't sure he wanted to know. Reyna described how the air around him had dropped to freezing. The ground had blackened. In one horrible, gut-wrenching cry, he had unleashed a flood of pain and anger on everyone in the clearing. She and Coach had experienced his journey through Tartarus, his imprisonment at the hands of the giants, his days slowly suffocating in the bronze jar. They felt his loneliness, his anguish at his encounter with Cupid, they felt his unspoken challenge to Bryce Lawrence. _You want secrets_? _Here._

The spartoi crumbled into piles of ashes. Rocks of the cairn were blasted white with frost. Bryce staggered, dropping his pilum. He clutched his head as blood gushed from both nostrils. Nico marched forward, wrenching the probatio tablet from around Bryce's neck.

"You aren't worthy of this." He growled. The earth split under Bryce's feet and he fell like a stone, sinking up to his waist.

"Stop!" Bryce pleaded, clawing at the ground frantically. But he kept sinking.

"You took an oath to the legion," Nico's breath steamed in the cold, "you broke its rules and inflicted pain; you killed your own centurion."

"I- I didn't- I-!"

"You should've died for your crimes." Nico continued. "But instead you got exile. Your father Orcus may not approve of broken oaths, but _my _father _really_ doesn't approve of those who escape punishment."

"Please!" Bryce cried. The word fell on Nico's ears and it confused him. The Underworld had no room for mercy. Only justice.

"You're already dead." Nico told him. "You're a ghost with no tongue, no memory. You won't be sharing any secrets."

"No!" Bryce's form turned dark and smoky. He was up to his chest in the earth now. "No, I am Bryce Lawrence, I'm alive!"

"Who are you?" Nico demanded. Bryce stared at him. No words came from his mouth, just a chilling, chattering sound barely above a whisper. His face became indistinct. "Begone." Nico ordered. The spirit vanished. The earth closed. Nico turned, saw his friends were safe. They stared at him in horror. Reyna's face was bleeding. Her dogs turned in circles, whining, as if their mechanical brains had short-circuited. The world tipped and Nico's head hit the ground.

His dreams were senseless. A flock of ravens cawed and swirled in a dark sky, then morphed into horses galloping through the surf. He saw Bianca in the dining pavilion, sat at a table with the Hunters of Artemis, smiling and laughing with her new friends. And then she was Hazel, kissing his cheek and saying _I want you to be an exception_.

He saw Ella, perched on the couch of the Big House. Next to her, the magical stuffed leopard head of Seymour. The harpy rocked back and forth, feeding him Cheetos.

"Cheese is not good for harpies," she said, scrunching up her face, "_The fall of the sun, the final verse_. Cheese is good for leopard heads." Ella changed into a heavily-pregnant dark-haired nymph, writhing in agony on a camp bed. Clarisse sat beside her, holding her hand and wiping her forehead with a cool cloth.

"You'll be fine, Mellie." Clarisse said through gritted teeth, barely concealing the worry in her tone.

"No, nothing is fine!" Mellie cried. "Gaia is rising!" The scene dissolved and Nico found himself standing beside Hades in the Berkeley Hills.

"Go to them," the god said, "introduce yourself as a child of Pluto. It is important you make this connection."

"Why?" Nico asked. Hades disappeared. Now he was in Tartarus, in front of Akhlys. Blood stained her cheeks, smearing in the tears streaming from her eyes.

"Son of Hades, what more could I do? So much sorrow and pain, you are perfect!" And then she was Lou, simply sticking her middle finger up at him and grinning.

Nico inhaled sharply, his eyes flew open. He lay on his back, sunlight dappling through tree branches over his head. Reyna's face appeared above him, worry creasing her brow. She breathed a sigh of relief, her hand cool on his forehead.

"Thank the gods." The bleeding cut on her face had healed, not a trace of it. Next to her, Coach scowled.

"Good," he grunted, "just a few more applications." He held up a large square bandage coated with sticky brown gunk and squished it over Nico's nose. Nico gagged.

"Ugh, what is- _ugh_." The gunk stunk of potting soil, cedar chips, grape juice and just a hint of fertiliser. Nico's arms wouldn't move to peel it off and throw it as far as he could.

He was lying on a sleeping bag outside the tent. He was wearing nothing but his boxer shorts and seemingly thousands of gross, brown-plastered bandages covering every square inch of his body. His skin was itchy from drying mud.

"Are… are you trying to plant me?" He asked dazedly.

"It's sports medicine with a little nature magic." Coach sniffed. "Kind of a hobby of mine." Nico tried to focus on Reyna, his vision swimming.

"You approved this?" She looked ready to pass out from exhaustion, tears welling in her eyes, but she smiled.

"Coach brought you back. Unicorn draught, nectar, ambrosia- we couldn't use any of it, you were fading so badly." Nico blinked at her.

"Don't worry about that now, kid," Hedge held a drinking straw to Nico's lips, "have some Gatorade." Nico tried to protest. Coach's eyes flashed dangerously. "You _will_ have some Gatorade." He ordered. Nico hastily obeyed, suddenly realising how parched he was.

"What happened?" He croaked. "To Bryce, to those skeletons?" Reyna and Coach swapped nervous looks.

"There's good news and bad news," Reyna eventually said, "but let's get you fed first. You'll need your strength before you hear the bad news."

By 'let's get you fed', they had seemingly been taking lessons from Louisa, hellbent on fattening him up. Nico ate as much as he could, but his stomach twisted and he had to stop and force bile down. Reyna and Coach gently explained what had happened.

"What's the bad news then?" He asked quietly, hardly opening his mouth in case he was sick.

"You've… been unconscious for three days."

"Come again?" Nico froze. Reyna said it almost a dozen times, but it still wouldn't sink in. "We couldn't move you," she said, "like _physically_ could not move you. You had almost no substance. If it weren't for Coach-"

"No biggie." Coach assured. Nico focused on him, saw the bags under his eyes, his sunken cheeks. He wanted to apologise, to thank him, but the only words that came out of his mouth were his retelling of his dreams. Dreams that, to him, had only lasted seconds. Not _days_. Coach's hands fidgeted nervously upon hearing about his wife. Nico tried to sit up, Reyna pushing him back down.

"We have to get going, the Romans attack Camp Half-Blood the day after tomorrow. I have to get ready."

"No." She kept her hand on his arm, the bandages crinkling under her fingers. "Any more shadow travel will kill you."

"If it kills me, it kills me." Nico retorted through gritted teeth. Coach tapped him on the head.

"I appreciate the dedication, kid, but if it kills _you_, Lou will kill _us_. Besides, we don't want to get zapped into eternal darkness along with the statue, it won't help anyone. Bryce was right about that." At the mention of the Roman, Reyna's dogs sat up, ears pricked and snarling. Reyna stared at the cairn of rocks, as if awaiting more unwelcome spirits.

"Reyna…" Nico struggled to sit up again. Her head snapped round and she pushed him down. "Reyna, I... I didn't think. What I did to Bryce-"

"You destroyed him." Reyna said. "You turned him into a ghost. And, yes, it did remind me of my father."

"I didn't mean to scare you." Nico said quietly. "I didn't… I didn't mean to poison another friendship, I'm sorry."

"Nico," Reyna said, studying his face, "honestly, the first day you were unconscious, I didn't know what to think. What you did… was hard to watch. Hard to process."

"I gotta agree with the girl on this one, kid." Coach admitted, chewing on a stick. "Smashing someone's head in with a bat is one thing. But ghostifying that creep? That was some _dark_ stuff." Nico half-expected to feel angry, like he normally did when someone judged him for his powers. But the anger didn't come. It was there, for Bryce Lawrence, for Gaia and her giants, for Octavian (along with the urge to strangle him), but it wasn't there for Reyna or Coach.

"Why did you bring me back?" He asked. "You knew I couldn't help anymore, you should've found another way to keep going with the statue. Why did you waste three days looking after me?"

"Uh," Coach scoffed, "because you're part of the team, _idiot_."

"And aforementioned death-by-Lou." Reyna added.

"We're not going to leave you behind."

"It's more than that." Reyna continued, placing her hand on Nico's. "While you were asleep, I did a lot of thinking. What I told you about my father… I've only ever told one person."

"Lou." Nico guessed. Reyna nodded, smiling sadly.

"I've found Louisa keeps secrets better than her temper. And you. You share that quality with her, it felt _right_ to confide in you. You've helped lift some of my burden. I trust you, Nico."

"Hey, kid." Coach tapped him on the head again, softer this time. "We all get angry. Even a sweetheart like me." Reyna smirked, squeezing Nico's fingers.

"Coach is right. You're not the only one who lets darkness in once in a while. I told you what happened with my dad and you supported me. You shared your painful experiences- how can we not support you? We're friends." Nico wasn't sure if his heart was still working, and his mind wasn't faring much better. They had seen his deepest secrets, they knew who he was now, _what_ he was. And they cared _more_ for it. They weren't judging him, they were _concerned_.

Seeing his confusion, Reyna smiled. "You did what had to be done. I see that now. Just… no more ghostifying people, please? Especially if we can avoid it?"

"Yeah," Coach agreed, "but if it does come to it, let me at them _first, _OK?"

"OK." Nico croaked. Coach grinned.

"Got some good news." He reminded him. Reyna nodded.

"We've not seen any other Romans, no sign of Orion. Hopefully he was taken down by the Amazons and Hunters."

"And Hylla? Thalia?"

"No word." Reyna said tightly. "But I have to believe they're alive."

"Don't forget the best news." Coach elbowed her.

"Maybe because it's hard to believe. Coach thinks he's found a way to transport the statue. It's all he's talked about for the past three days, but so far… we've not seen any sign of-"

"It'll happen!" Coach insisted, beaming at Nico. "You know that message I got before Lawrence showed up?"

"The one you ate?"

"Yep! It was from one of Mellie's contacts in the palace of Aeolus! This harpy, Nuggets- she and Mellie go way back. Anyway, she knows a guy who knows a guy who knows a horse who knows a goat who knows another horse-" Reyna cleared her throat, giving him a pointed look. "Right, right. Long story short, I pulled in a lot of favours. The letter I ate? Confirmation of the cavalry on their way. They said it'll take a little while for some organisation, but-"

"Oh my gods." Reyna stood, staring towards the north, her mouth open in awe. Nico followed her gaze. A flock of birds were approaching, _large_ birds. No, wait. _Pegasi_, flying in V formation, without riders. At the point, a massive stallion with a golden coat and multicoloured plumage like an eagle's, his wingspan twice as wide as the others'.

"You summoned enough to carry the statue." Nico marvelled.

"Not just any pegasi either, kid. You're in for a _real_ treat."

"That… the stallion in front," Reyna said in disbelief, "that's _the _Pegasus!"


	17. Chapter 17

**To JasonGraceIsDead- Again indeed! And, as for the Hunters of Artemis, I feel they don't go out and actively hunt men just because they can. They have no interest in men, they do not like to have them around, but they don't shoot on sight. If they did, several of the main characters and loads of other secondary campers would be dead! Plus, literally any man they came across on their travels! I feel like if they were to kill or try to kill a man, it would be someone like Orion. **

**To RandomFanAuthor- It seems it did! Do it again! And yes. _Worry._ And that is a very accurate reaction, but also something like 'My brother's a horse, fuck you'.**

**To HoO Fan- Yes, that was a Solangelo reference! ^_^ And I'm undecided on ReynaXLou's ship name, I'm between Reyisa and Louyna (pronounced Luna), but I'm not sure! I don't ship Jercy, more of a brotp than an otp, but I can see why people ship them! As for Pernico, I don't- again, I can see why people do- but I feel Percy is too tightly connected to Nico's past and he needs a fresh start. Hence why I like Solangelo so much- Nico can learn to love with someone he has no sour history with, no bad feeling! I feel like Will lets Nico be more open and relaxed in his own sense. So yes, I will die for Solangelo! As for rearranging the couples... can't swap out Frazel, too good. I love them. So cute! I know this one isn't part of the Seven and co, but I think Clarisse and Silena would have been really sweet! **

* * *

"What's idiot mode?" Percy frowned.

"Your constant state of existence." Louisa muttered.

"True," Leo agreed, "but also the best way to play video games _ever_." Jason grinned and nodded in agreement. Louisa squinted at him.

"What?"

"Specs."

"Uh, yeah." She held her hand out, making a grabbing motion. Jason, knowing better, sighed and passed them over. "Apparently, I'm short-sighted."

"Fuckin' blind, holy shit." Louisa quickly handed the glasses back, rubbing at her eyes with her free hand. Jason tutted, mumbled something about her exaggerating. He slid his glasses back up his nose, still adjusting to them. He had hardly paid attention to the blurriness of things, but suddenly seeing his friends' faces far clearer than he had the past few weeks… he couldn't decide if he had missed out or wanted to go back to short-sightedness. Percy was giving him a funny look.

"What?"

"Clark Kent."

"Oh, shut up."

Louisa poked the vial, in the middle of the table. It glowed red, which she approved of, but:

"I don't like it." She said. She slumped in her seat, resting her chin on the table and staring at the vial distrustfully. Percy patted her head and she blew a raspberry.

"Any of us might die, right? So we just need to keep the potion handy."

"Assuming only _one_ of us dies." Jason pointed out. "There's only one dose."

"You really are a ray of sunshine." Percy scrunched his nose. Louisa looked away from the vial, seeing Frank and Hazel staring at Leo. Leo was steadfastly ignoring them, only cementing her hunch. She held her tongue, thoughts whirring. First, he hadn't told her what had _really_ happened when he had been 'marooned', but it _definitely_ had something to do with Calypso. His reaction at her name when they regrouped- Jason had noticed it too. She was sure the others knew about it; Percy even seemed more chill around Leo, less over-protective big brothery.

And now Leo, Hazel and Frank were keeping something between them, something that made the latter two look at Leo like they were planning his funeral. _To storm or fire the world must fall_.

"We'll have to keep our options open." Piper said. Louisa shook herself from her thoughts, taking a moment to re-focus on the crew. "We need, like, a designated medic to carry the potion- somebody who can react quickly and heal whoever gets killed."

"Great idea, Beauty Queen." Leo said. "I nominate you." Piper winced.

"But… Annabeth is wiser. Hazel can move faster on Arion. Frank can turn into animals-"

"But you've got heart." Annabeth squeezed Piper's hand. "Leo's right. When the time comes, you'll know what to do."

"Yeah," Jason agreed, "I have a feeling you're the best choice, Pipes. You're going to be there with us at the end, whatever happens. Storm or fire."

_You will not see the final battle._

Louisa pushed back from the table. Everyone stared at her.

"Yeah, give it ta Piper. I'm gonna get some air." Percy started to rise, but she waved him away. Leo had set them back down on the water. The ship was still in dire need of repairs and he had a day to do them. After that… well, they would be at Athens. Louisa crossed her arms on the forward rail, mutely watching the sea swirl by, spraying the side of the ship, flickering her hands. She filled her lungs with the sea air, but it hardly made a dent in her nerves. The sun was still a couple of hours from going down, but the air was cooling already.

She became so lost in watching the waves that, when a hand fell on her shoulder, she almost threw Frank overboard.

"No, it's me, don't kill me!"

"Dammit, Frank!"

"I called you three times, can I _please_ have my arm back?"

"Sorry." She let go and he rubbed at his wrist. Louisa took his hand in both of hers, testing his movement, making him waggle his fingers. "You'll be fine." She summarised, voice flat. "Sorry." He nodded, watching her uncertainly. She was hardly head-height to his bicep, having to squint up at him. Frank wasn't sure she had forgiven him for his growth spurt, but there wasn't much he could do about it; she would just have to get used to feeling even smaller next to him.

"I came to see if you were OK. I didn't mean to make you jump."

"I know." Louisa sighed. "I didn't mean ta try 'n' throw ya down there," she nodded at the water, "but I…" Her brow creased. "I didn't realise you were there."

"Sorry." He mumbled. Louisa shook her head.

"Nah, don't apologise." She turned, leaning on the railings again. "Weren't your fault." He stood next to her, tucking his hands behind his back. He almost gave her the impression of standing beside her protectively, but she could sense the tension in his shoulders, his hesitation making him dither on the spot. "Are _you_ OK?"

"Yeah, yeah, I'm great. Just adding another life-or-death experience to my list."

"How many ya up to?"

"Mm…" He shrugged. "I don't know, about a thousand?"

"Cute." She half-smiled. The weight of his gaze fell on the side of her head, but she was used to this now. Frank always had questions for her.

"Did you really just come out for air?"

"Did ya really just come out ta ask me that?"

"I…" He faltered. "I just wanted to make sure you were alright."

"Yes, Praetor Zhang, I'm dandy. Just dandy." She rubbed at her arms, frowning at the horizon.

"Can't I ask if you're alright _without_ being your praetor?"

"I'm not a Roman." She mumbled. "Hardly pass for a Greek."

"Jason told me… that you've spent a lot of time with the Romans. You used to train with them, but you never… you never got your marks." Louisa shook her head. "Why not?"

"I did train with 'em. But I never stayed, not for more than a few weeks at a time. They didn't really like me ta start with, Neptune's daughter 'n' all." She sighed. "I came by when they needed help, checked in with Reyna a lot, especially when Jay went missin'."

"I have a confession." Frank blurted. Louisa looked up at him, his face rather pink. "I overheard Percy and Annabeth talking to Piper about… something between you and Reyna." Louisa hunched her shoulders, looking away. "Is there?" He probably shouldn't have asked, not if he liked having his heart beating safely inside his body, but curiosity got the better of him.

"Before she left with Nico, she… uh, she kissed me."

"And is that… a bad thing?"

"No. Yes. No, I don't know." She started toying with her hair. "It's… confusin'? Like, I did- _do_ like her, but… I didn't really think any of it 'cos she was always busy praetorin' 'n' stuff, so…" She shrugged.

"Well… maybe you can sort things out with her, once this is all over."

"Ya think?"

"It's worth a shot. But… one more question." He smiled sheepishly. She considered him for a moment, then nodded. "Leo."

"That ain't a question, that's a name."

"Fine. Leo?" He gave her his best questioning look and she snorted bemusedly.

"Keep goin', Zhang, ya gettin' a decent sense of humour."

"Thank you. But _Leo_?" She stared at him, biting her lip.

"Piper 'n' Percy asked me the same thing."

"What did you tell them?" Frank asked carefully. She hummed indecisively. "Leo… he's weird and I don't always understand him, but he's a good friend and-"

"'N' there's somethin' 'bout Calypso he ain't tellin' me." She felt Frank tense and he spluttered. "It's OK, Frank. Leo deserves happiness 'n' if he's found it with Calypso, then good for him." She shifted her arms on the bar, tipping her head forward to focus on the waves. "I wish ya'd tell me what this plan ya'll hidin' is."

"Plan, what plan? We're not hiding a plan!" Frank laughed nervously.

"Wow," Louisa deadpanned, "my suspicions have been completely destroyed." Frank pressed his lips together, she could see his mind floundering behind the panic in his eyes. She opened her mouth to say more- demand answers, reassure him she wasn't going to kill him just yet, she didn't know. Ice washed over her skin, her head buzzed warningly. She gripped the railing, standing straight.

"What?" Frank squeaked. He cleared his throat. "What's wrong?"

"I don't know." She scanned the horizon. Checked the waters. Her Poseidony-senses were blaring like crazy. She ran to the other side of the ship, saw nothing. Festus creaked warnings and the others started to emerge.

"What's going on?" Piper asked. Percy took one look at his sister, suddenly sensing whatever had put her on high alert. Louisa didn't wait for him, scrambling along Festus's neck and standing on his head. He blew fire slightly to the left and she finally saw it.

"Island." She pointed. She turned, Leo at the helm.

"That's not supposed to be there!" He called, pressing buttons and swiping at the computer screen. "It's not on any map, it's not charted, it's…" He looked up, confused. "It's like it just appeared!" Festus creaked confirmation.

The island stretched in a haphazard crescent shape, completely blocking their path, about thirty miles wide at the least. It was shrouded in a dome of fog, they could see the silhouettes of lumpy hills, the rough edges of a wild forest.

"Leo, stop the ship!" Louisa ordered, hopping back onto deck.

"I'm trying!"

"Twins!" Annabeth called. "Slow it down as best you can! Jason, redirect the wind, blow us in the other direction!"

They tried. Leo switched off the engine, dropped the anchor, put the remaining oars into reverse. Percy and Louisa changed the direction of the current, hurled waves against the front to push them back. Jason filled the sails with wind in the opposite direction, summoned venti to his aid. Frank even changed into a whale to try and push.

But the island drew them in. Their efforts meant nothing in the face of it.

"That fog…" Hazel frowned. "That's _a lot_ of Mist, but… it's weird, twisted."

"It's Gaia!" Louisa raged. "We're too close ta Athens, she wants ta slow us down!"

"So she makes a whole island just for us? Great!" Leo faked a laugh. "I feel so privileged!" He glanced around. "What do we do?" His gaze settled on Annabeth, but it was Louisa who answered.

"We send scouts." She said, glaring at the island. "I'll take Frank 'n' Jason. They can fly around 'n' check from the sky."

"Um, _you_ can't fly." Piper reminded her. Louisa closed her eyes for the count of three.

"I'll stay on the ground. If Gaia's got any monsters down there, I'll draw 'em out-"

"You're not going on your own!" Percy protested. "And what about the 'they-want-a-boy-and-a-girl' situation?"

"That's why I'm takin' the two that can _fly_. So they can _escape_."

"And leave you?" Jason scowled. "No way." Louisa glowered at him.

"We've had this discussion, Jay." He began to argue, but she turned away. "We'll be there in a few minutes." Tendrils of fog-Mist were tickling the underside of the ship. Louisa scanned the island, pointing to a bay. "If ya can, stop the ship by that. Percy, keep the water movin' around the ship, ya can't let the earth touch it."

"But-"

"_Percy_." Her eyes flashed dangerously. Percy scowled, clenching his fists. He gave the smallest of nods, his anger reverberated in the plumbing.

"Hey, don't blow the toilets up again." Leo warned. "I've got enough work to do."

Jason took the right side of the island, raven-Frank took the left. Louisa vaulted the railings, calling the water up to her. She slid down on a wave to the shoreline. As soon as her feet touched the sand, her stomach twisted. The ground clung to the soles of her sneakers. She wrenched herself free and marched across the sand, bow in hand, arrow nocked. Twenty feet from the sea, a forest loomed. Trees towered as tall as skyscrapers, bushes and shrubbery dwarfed her. If not for the glow of her bow, she would have been lost in the dense gloom, just enough space for her to squeeze through. Thorns scratched at her face, her arms, branches and tree roots tried to trip her, coiling around her ankles in the hope she wouldn't notice. She kept them back with incendiary arrows, but the deeper she ventured, the more daring nature became.

Shadows crept and growled around her, but no monsters emerged. Branches creaked overhead, leaves rustled, she heard the cries of gryphons and the snarls of hellhounds, whispers of sleepy dryads. She pushed on.

The darkness grew around her, monsters became louder. How long had she been walking? Were Frank and Jason OK? What about the others, the ship? She could only hope Percy had stayed put, as she had instructed, she didn't need him charging headfast into whatever danger lurked beyond her sight.

She wiggled through a bush, gaining more stinging scratches on her arms. Twigs snagged on her hair and she swore. She grappled for an arrow, dropping it over her shoulder into the bush. The heat of the resultant fire seared her back, singed her clothes and hair, but she was free.

"What's ya game, Dirt-Face?" She muttered. A loud rumbling answered her. Trees toppled like dominos, creaking and groaning. But they didn't fall. The ground disappeared from under her feet and, as she fell head-first down a hill, she realised she should probably have kept her mouth shut. The trees were realigning to the movement, she tumbled and cursed, crashing through bushes, losing arrows. She only stopped when she collided with a tree trunk. Dark spots danced in her vision, her back and shoulder went numb. Her bow clattered on a rock a few feet away. "Ow." She groaned. Tree roots slithered over her shoulders, around her waist and arms. She strained, trying to wrench herself free. She tried to get to her bow. The rock it was on scooted away, carving through the ground.

_There is no game, little one_. The voice shook the ground, the trees, gentle yet cold. It came from everywhere and nowhere all at once, it was whispered in her ear and spoken from a distance. _You try so hard in the name of the gods, _Gaia cooed,_ let me spare you the torment. Once your father is out of the way, you could rule the oceans in his stead. _Roots circled up her legs, tying them together. One as thick as her entire body clamped around her ribs, squeezing the air slowly from her lungs. _Just give in._ Gaia's voice was soothing. _Just give in, little one. Your fate will destroy you, let me free you from it. _

"No." Louisa gasped, twisting her body to no avail. "You'll… kill my friends… I won't… let you…"

_How very noble. Your power would have been a valuable asset, you could be the one true queen of the oceans… but if you insist… _A root over her shoulder jolted, snapping around her throat. The force choked her airway before she could process what had happened, a brittle gasp crossing her lips. The back of her head connected with the tree trunk, bark crept over her hair, her ears. _You've been an obstruction for far too long, little one. But worry not. Maybe I'll find another use for you. _

Breathless tears welled in Louisa's eyes. She could no longer move. Her vision blurred. She could see the dim glow of her bow, about fifteen feet away. The bark closed over her eyes. Panic turned to hysteria. But with it, came an idea.

"_Extremum… fato_." She croaked. A hum of energy washed over her skin, tingled her numbing fingers.

_Interesting,_ Gaia mused, _but futile. _

Louisa couldn't see it, but she felt the force of it. Her bow had a setting, one she had not used before and had hoped she would never have to use.

Poseidon had told her what would happen. Years ago. When he had given her the watch. A single blast of pure, unbridled energy derived from her element, unrivalled by all but her father's trident. Everything he stood for, everything in his domain, would answer. Just once.

The energy hit her in a burning wave. Renewed strength cascaded through her. The ground split and rumbled, thunder rolled in a cacophony that rattled every fibre of her being, rain fell in sheets like hellfire.

_If I'm goin' to die,_ Louisa thought,_ let it be on my terms_.

She did not have the breath for it, but a guttural scream tore from her throat.

_Extremum fato_.

Last chance.

* * *

They saw it all from the ship. A column of sea green light slashed through the fog and they could see the island in its entirety. The column struck the sky with a roll of thunder that shook the ship. Waves blasted out in a ring, recoiling and washing up onto the shores with insatiable fury.

Jason and Frank returned, soaked to the skin and shivering. A storm had descended. It showed no mercy, purpling their skin with angry bruises.

"Where's Lou?" Percy demanded, voice lost to the hailing winds. The storm expanded groundward, lurching and snapping, birthing hurricanes all over the island. Percy staggered into Frank, his limbs suddenly bearing the solidity of gas. His ears rang with a scream he could not source. Invisible claws ripped at his gut, his vision went black.

"We have to go back!" Jason cried. "We have to find Lou!" He turned to take off. Frank grabbed his shoulder, cradling Percy with his other arm. Whatever he said to Jason was stolen as trees toppled into earthquakes. The sea swelled in the advance, widening the earthly lacerations. Hurricanes shredded through the forest, beaches were swallowed in ravenous tides.

Jason struggled against Frank. Piper rushed forward, clinging to his other arm. She pressed her lips to his ear.

"We can't!" She sobbed. "We can't!"

"We have to!" Jason yelled. "We can't leave her, we have to-!"

But Piper was right.

The earth had spent so long trying to subdue them, to absorb them, to _destroy_ them. Now, she was getting a taste of her own medicine. The crew of the Argo II could only watch as the island shrunk beneath the waves, as hurricanes ate up every earthly morsel that fell in their path, as earthquakes split the ground again and again and again.

It only lasted a few minutes, but time lost all meaning.

The sea folded in on itself at the centre of the island, the last bite. Hurricanes whistled as they creased and fell into the fold. The storm swirled, funnelling as it was sucked down into the depths. It gave one, final defiant crash of thunder.

And then that was it.

The sea was restless, bobbing their ship. The sky was clear. The island was gone, hardly a pine needle or a pebble to remember it by. The water gradually settled, sparkling in the setting sun. It had taken Gaia's obstruction.

It had taken Louisa.


	18. Chapter 18

**To Ravimar- yep! Exactly what it meant! ^_^ **

**To RandomFanAuthor- I did warn you! Mwhahahaha! I even went as far to shuffle their travel time, took away a day just so I could put this in! In the original, there's like three days of just travelling, if I remember right! Hehehe, I do love a cliffy! And we shall see, shan't we? Also, I did think about that, but because she's a primordial and he's an Olympian, _maybe_ they can just, like, earthquake her face or something? I imagine it to be something akin to a deep cut, but not sure! **

**To HoO Fan- I see you've reviewed on Chapter 15. Read 17 and let me know how that handling Leo's death thing goes! ^_^ And as much as I try to keep the twins different, they are twins and they're both idiots, we must revel in that! I am working on- hint hint- COUPLE ONE-SHOTS! So far, I've done two and a half for ReynaXLou (still can't decide on a ship name!) I've got a little bit for Solangelo, but may just put about being open to requests! And I've read the Magnus Chase more recently than the Kane Chronicles, so I remember them more and will pick those (but I did enjoy the Kane siblings, they're a funny pair!) **

**To JasonGraceIsDead- (Gah, that name!) Yeah, I guess she is kind of an NPC! And read Chapter 17, let me know if you think LeLou is still a go! ^_^**

* * *

One of the pegasi broke ranks as soon as they landed- a mare, with a dappled, dark grey coat, her mane and tail as dark as the night sky. She neatly folded her wings, trotting forward. She nudged Nico and whinnied, snuffling his hair. Nico smiled, stroking her nose. Only one pegasus didn't turn tail and run at the sight of him.

"Hello, Storm."

"Storm?" Reyna repeated. "Louisa's pegasus?" Storm whickered at the praetor, snorting as if to say _duh, who else would put up with her_? Reyna smiled, holding out her hand. Storm turned, pressing her muzzle to Reyna's palm. "It's good to see you too."

Pegasus neighed softly. Storm huffed, butting Nico with her chin and then re-joining the V formation, snorting at a pure black pegasus beside her.

"Blackjack?" Nico asked. "Wait, and Guido!" Coach stifled laughter as the other pegasi began to neigh, nodding and pawing the ground. Pegasus grunted. Storm whickered and her brethren fell quiet.

"I can see why Lou picked you." Coach smiled, shaking his head.

"Lord Pegasus," Reyna bowed to the immortal equine, "it is an honour." Pegasus lowered his head in greeting and she stood. Reyna had always imagined him to be pure white, with dove-like wings. Her imagination had not reached far enough. His coat was rich brown in colour, mottled with red and gold around the muzzle. His wings shimmered with _all_ the colours of his offspring- black, gold, white, brown, grey and rust. He was far more handsome and regal a steed than just plain white.

Pegasus whinnied, tossed his mane. He looked to the statue.

"He says we've done well." Coach beamed, puffing his chest out proudly. "He and the other pegasi can help us get the statue back." Pegasus neighed. "He says we'll have just enough time to return the statue and hopefully stop the Romans from attacking Camp Half-Blood." Storm stomped her hoof and snorted. "I'm not translating that."

"Something Lou-esque, I'm guessing?" Reyna arched an eyebrow. Coach made a few noises in agreement. Pegasus shifted his wings, looking back at Storm. She ducked her head, looking rather sheepish, if possible. "Thank you, Lord Pegasus." Reyna bowed again. Pegasus looked at her, his eyes seemed to smile. He inclined his head and Coach grinned.

"Let's get to work then!"

* * *

They reached Camp Half-Blood in the predawn hours of August first. They flew on the front three pegasi, the statue suspended between the group. Reyna flew on Pegasus's back, Coach had taken Guido and Storm had commandeered Nico- _Lou's orders_, Coach translated, _and she's been told if you don't comply, she has full permission to bite your hands off. _Nico, being rather attached to his hands, did comply.

Reyna spotted the six Roman onagers immediately.

"Turn back!" She cried. She wasn't keen on giving Pegasus, the Lord of Flying Horses, orders, but she was even _less_ keen to get shot out of the sky. Even in the dark, the onagers glistened with their Imperial gold plating. Their throwing arms were bent back like ship masts listing in a storm. Crews of artillerists rushed around the weapons, loading the slings and checking the torsion in the ropes.

"_What_ are _those_?" Nico called, staring down, aghast.

"Siege weapons!" Reyna replied. "If we get any closer, they can shoot us out of the sky!" Storm whinnied, snorting defiantly.

"No, you can't take them!" Coach protested. "And that's coming from _me_, I like to fight _everything_!" Storm looked at him, offended. A call from her Lord set her back on task. Nico began to consider if he _really_ needed his hands.

"Lord Pegasus," Reyna lay her hand on the stallion's neck, "we need a safe place to land." Pegasus understood immediately, banking left. The others followed, the Athena Parthenos swinging slightly on its cables.

They skirted the western edge of Camp Half-Blood. Reyna surveyed the scene from her vantage point. The legion lined the base of the eastern hills, prepared for a dawn attack. The onagers were arrayed behind them in a loose semi-circle, about three hundred yards apart from each other. The size of them warranted Octavian enough firepower to obliterate everything and everyone within the valley.

But there was more.

Camping along the legion's flanks were hundreds of auxilia forces. It was hard to tell in the dark, but Reyna could just about make out a tribe of wild centaurs and an army of cynocephali, the dog-headed men who had made an uneasy truce with the legion centuries ago. The auxilia forces vastly outnumbered the Romans and surrounded them in an ocean of unreliable allies.

"There!" Nico pointed. Towards Long Island Sound, the lights of a large yacht were a beacon about a quarter of a mile offshore. "We could land on the deck of that ship. The Greeks control the sea!" Reyna wasn't convinced the Greeks would be any friendlier than the Romans, but Pegasus likened to the idea, wheeling to the dark waters of the Sound.

The ship was a white pleasure craft, a hundred feet long, with sleek lines and tinted portals. Large red letters christened it _MI AMOR_. On the forward deck, rather helpfully, was a helipad just the right size for the Athena Parthenos. There was no crew in sight. Maybe the ship was a regular mortal vessel anchored for the night? If she was wrong, however… it would be a trap.

Nico looked over to her. "It's our best shot. The pegasi are tired, we need to set down." Storm shook her head. Nico didn't need a translation. "You're as stubborn as your human, stop it."

"Let's do it." Reyna nodded. Pegasus landed on the forward deck, Storm and Guido either side of him. The other six gently lowered the statue onto the helipad and then alighted in a circle around it. They looked like carousel animals.

Reyna dismounted, bowing before Pegasus. "Thank you, great one." Pegasus spread his wings, inclining his head. They had flown halfway up the East Coast, but Reyna could still hardly believe the immortal horse had allowed _her_ to ride. Pegasus folded his wings and nickered. Coach slid over to translate.

"He says he should leave before the shooting starts. His life force connects _all_ pegasi, so if he gets injured, _all_ winged horses feel his pain. That's why he doesn't get out much. _He's_ immortal, but his offspring aren't. He doesn't want them to suffer on his account. He's asked the others to stay with us, help us complete our mission."

"I understand," Reyna said, looking up at Pegasus, "thank you." Pegasus whinnied. Coach's eyes widened, brimming with tears.

"Coach?" Nico frowned. "What is it, what did he say?"

"He- he says he didn't come to us in person because of my message." He looked to Reyna, sniffing. "He came because of _you_. He experiences the feelings of all winged horses. He followed your friendship with Scipio. He's never been more touched by a demigod's compassion for a pegasus. He… he gives you the title Horse Friend. This is a great honour." Reyna's eyes glistened with tears of her own and she faced the immortal once more.

"Thank you, Lord." She bowed her head. Pegasus pawed the deck. His offspring whinnied in salute and their sire launched himself upward, spiralling away into the night. Storm clopped over, nudging Reyna and nuzzling her cheek. Her eyes seemed to be lit with pride. Reyna stroked her nose. Coach stared in amazement at the clouds.

"Pegasus hasn't shown himself in hundreds of years." He patted Reyna on the back. "You did good, Roman." She swallowed nervously, managing a small smile. Storm headbutted her gently, shuffling her wings. "Storm says you shouldn't feel bad about what happened to Scipio. He was a brave and loyal pegasus and he thought it was an honour and a privilege to serve you. He died with his faith in you, Reyna. He knew you'd go far." Reyna hid her face in Storm's neck, giving herself a moment of composure and offering a silent prayer for her valiant pegasus's spirit, wherever it may be.

"Nico," she said eventually, "we need to check the ship. If there's anyone on board-"

"Way ahead of you." Nico smiled. "I sense two mortals asleep in the main cabin. Nobody else. I'm no child of Hypnos, but I've sent some deep dreams their way. Should be enough to keep them snoozing until well after sunrise." Reyna nodded, trying not to stare at him. In the last few days, he had become so much stronger, more grounded. Coach's nature-magic-sports-medicine combination had revived him from the brink. She had seen Nico do some impressive things, but manipulating dreams? When had he gained that ability?

"So," Coach clapped, rubbing his hands eagerly, "when can we go ashore? My wife is waiting!" Reyna looked to the horizon. A Greek trireme patrolled just offshore, but it didn't seem to have noticed them. There were no alarms, no movement along the beach.

A silver wake in the moonlight caught her attention, half a mile to the west. A black motorboat zipped towards them. As it drew closer, Reyna lay her hand on the hilt of her sword. Glinting on the boat's prow was a laurel wreath design with the letters SPQR.

"The legion has sent a welcome party." She muttered. Nico frowned down at the boat.

"I thought the Romans didn't have a navy?"

"We didn't. Apparently Octavian has been busier than I realised."

"So we attack!" Coach protested. "'Cos no-one is standing in my way when I'm this close!" Reyna saw three people in the speedboat. The two in the back wore helmets, but she recognised the driver's stocky shoulders- Michael Kahale.

"We'll try to parlay." She decided. "That's one of Octavian's right-hand men, but he's a good legionnaire. I may be able to reason with him."

"But if you're wrong…" Nico worried. The motorboat slowed and pulled up alongside them.

"Reyna!" Michael called up. "I've got orders to arrest you and confiscate that statue! I'm coming aboard with two other centurions! I'd prefer to do this without bloodshed!"

"Come aboard, Michael!" Reyna called back, more confidence in her voice than she felt. She looked to her companions. "If I'm wrong, be ready. Michael won't be easy to fight."

Michael was not dressed for combat, in his purple camp shirt, jeans and a pair of running shoes. He carried no weapon, not that Reyna could discern, but that didn't make her feel any easier. His arms were as thick as bridge cables, his expression as welcoming as a brick wall. The dove tattoo on his forearm resembled a bird of prey. He took in the situation with dark, glittering eyes. The centurions accompanying him were Leila from the Fourth Cohort and Dakota from the Fifth. Leila was a daughter of Ceres, known for her passive nature and levelheadedness. Dakota, a son of Bacchus, was one of the most good-natured officers- why had he sided with Octavian?

"Reyna Ramírez-Arellano," Michael said in a well-rehearsed tone, "former praetor-"

"I _am_ praetor," Reyna corrected, "unless I have been removed by a vote of the full senate. Is that the case?" Michael sighed heavily.

"I have orders to arrest you," he continued reluctantly, "and hold you for trial."

"On whose authority?"

"You know whose-"

"On what charges?"

"Listen, Reyna…" Michael massaged his forehead with his fingertips, like it might dissipate his headache. "I don't like this any more than you do, but I have my orders."

"Illegal orders." Reyna replied. Storm bumped into her shoulder, whinnying angrily. "This is Storm," Reyna smiled, "you remember Storm, don't you?"

"She has orders from Louisa," Nico picked up, "to bite off the hands of anyone who doesn't comply."

"It's too late for an argument, Octavian has assumed emergency powers. The legion is behind him." Storm's wings bristled, snorting and glaring at the Romans. Nico patted her shoulder. "Control the mare." Michael ordered. Reyna looked to Dakota and Leila.

"Are you with Octavian?" She asked. Leila didn't meet her gaze. Dakota winked secretively, but Reyna wasn't sure if it was actually a wink- he could have simply been twitching from too much sugary Kool-Aid.

"We're at war." Michael said. "We _have_ to pull together. These two," he gestured at the centurions behind him, "have not been the most enthusiastic supporters. Octavian gave them this one last chance to prove themselves. If they help me bring you in, preferably alive, then they keep their rank and prove their loyalty."

"To Octavian." Reyna spat. "Not the legion." She put a hand on Storm's neck as the mare jolted and bucked, raring to fight and gnaw hands off.

"You can't blame the officers for falling into line." Michael shrugged. "Octavian has a plan to win and it'll work. Come down, those onagers will destroy the Greeks, the Romans would be spared and the gods would be healed." Nico scowled.

"Wiping out half the demigods won't _heal_ the gods! You'll tear apart Olympus before Gaia even wakes up! And she _is_ waking."

"Ambassador of Pluto, son of Hades… whatever you call yourself. You've been named an enemy spy. I've got orders to take you in for execution." Storm spread her wings, shielding Nico and Reyna and angrily neighing a challenge. "I said control her!"

"She's Lou's pegasus," Reyna reminded him from behind the wall of dark feathers, "what did you expect?"

"Um," Dakota coughed, "Reyna, just come with us, peacefully. We can work this out." He was definitely winking at her. Coach hefted his bat.

"I'm bored of this," he said, sizing Michael up, "let me take him down, I've handled bigger."

"I'm sure you're a brave faun," Michael smirked, "but-"

"_Satyr_!" Coach raged, launching himself at the centurion. He brought his bat down with full force. Michael caught it, wrenching it from its owner. He pushed the Coach back and snapped the bat over his knee. "That's it!" Coach growled. "Now I'm really mad!"

"Coach," Reyna warned, laying a hand on his shoulder, "Michael is _very_ strong. You'd need to be an ogre or a-"

"Kahale!" A voice yelled from port side, somewhere down by the waterline. "What's taking so long?"

"Octavian?" Michael called, stunned.

"Of course it's me!" Came the reply from the dark. "I got tired of waiting for you to carry out my orders, so I'm coming to do it myself! Everyone on both sides, drop your weapons!"

"Uh, sir? Everyone? Even us?"

"Yes, you big dolt! I can handle these graecus scum!" Michael hesitated, but motioned to the other two Romans. They set their swords on the deck. Reyna glanced at Nico, raising a brow. Storm was sniffing the air, lowering her wings a fraction. Reyna's instincts had her drop her blade. Nico followed her example.

"Everyone is disarmed, sir!" Michael called.

"Good!" Octavian yelled. A dark shape appeared at the top of the ladder, but was far too big to be Octavian. A smaller shape with wings appeared behind him. By the time Reyna processed what was happening, the Cyclops had crossed the deck in two large strides. He bopped Michael on the head and the centurion collapsed. The other two backed away in alarm.

The shape with the wings, a harpy, fluttered to the deckhouse roof. Her feathers were the colour of dried blood in the moonlight; she got herself comfortable and began to preen.

"Strong." She said. "Ella's boyfriend is stronger than Romans."

"Friends!" Tyson boomed. He scooped the three of them up in one big hug. "We have come to save you! Yay!" He whipped round, glaring at Leila and Dakota. "Bad Romans!"

"Tyson, wait!" Reyna rushed forward, stepping between them. "Don't hurt them." She ordered. Tyson frowned. He was rather small for a Cyclops, just over six feet, still a child. His messy brown hair was crusted with salt water, his eye the colour of maple syrup. He wore a pair of swimming trunks patterned with Finding Nemo and a flannel pyjama shirt. Reyna stood downwind of him, getting a rather strong smell of peanut butter.

"They are not bad?" He asked uncertainly.

"No." Reyna confirmed. "They were following bad orders. I think they're sorry for that, _aren't _you, Dakota?"

"Yes!" Dakota flung his hands up. "I was trying to clue you in, Reyna, I promise! Leila and I planned to switch sides and help you take down Michael."

"That's right!" Leila agreed quickly. "Before we could, the Cyclops turned up!"

"A likely story." Coach snorted. Tyson sneezed, startling the satyr so much so, Coach's hooves left the deck, landing three feet away.

"Sorry." Tyson sniffed. "Goat fur. Itchy nose. Do we trust Romans?"

"I do." Reyna nodded. "Dakota, Leila, you understand our mission?"

"You want to return the statue to the Greeks." Leila said. "As a peace offering. We can help."

"Yeah." Dakota nodded vigorously, hands still in the air as if he were awaiting a beam-up. "The legion's not nearly as united as Michael said. We don't trust all the auxilia forces Octavian brought in."

"A little late for doubts." Nico retorted. "You're surrounded. As soon as Camp Half-Blood is destroyed, those 'allies' will turn on you."

"So, what do we do? We have an hour to sunrise."

"Five fifty-two a.m." Ella said, still atop the boathouse. "Sunrise, Eastern seaboard time, August first. _Timetables for Naval Meteorology_. One hour and twelve minutes is more than an hour." Dakota blinked at her.

"I stand corrected."

"Can we get into Camp safely?" Coach asked Tyson, edging forward. "Is Mellie alright?"

"She is very round."

"But she's OK? She hasn't given birth yet?"

"'Delivery occurs at the end of the third trimester'," Ella said, "page forty-three, _The New Mother's Guide to-_"

"I have to get over there!" Coach was ready to jump overboard and swim to shore. Reyna grabbed him by the shoulder before he could.

"We _will_ get you to Mellie," she promised, "but let's do it right. Tyson, how did you get here?"

"Rainbow!"

"You… took a rainbow?"

"He is my fish pony friend."

"A hippocampus." Nico translated.

"Could… could you take Coach back to Camp safely?" Reyna asked.

"Yes!" Tyson beamed. "We can do that!"

"Good." Reyna looked to the satyr. "Go and see your wife. Tell the campers I plan to fly the statue to Half-Blood Hill by sunrise. It's a gift from Rome to Greece, to heal our divisions. If they could _not_ shoot us down, I'd be grateful."

"You got it." Coach nodded. "But what about the legion?"

"Yeah, those onagers _will_ shoot you down."

"We'll need a distraction." Reyna decided. "Something to delay the attack and preferably put those weapons out of commission. Dakota, Leila, will your cohorts follow you?"

"I… I think so, yes." Dakota finally lowered his hands. "But if we ask them to commit treason-"

"It isn't treason. We're acting on direct orders from our praetor and Reyna _is_ still our praetor."

"Thank you." Reyna smiled. She faced Nico. "Go with them. While they're stirring trouble in the ranks, try to delay the attack and find a way to sabotage those onagers."

"My pleasure." Nico grinned, making Reyna _very_ relieved they were on the same side.

"Um…" Dakota shifted nervously. "Even if you get the statue to the hilltop, what's to stop Octavian from destroying it once it's in place? He's got _loads_ of firepower, even without the onagers." Reyna considered the statue, examining the ivory face of Athena, veiled under camouflage netting.

"Once the statue has been returned to the Greeks, I think it will be difficult to destroy. It has powerful magic it has chosen not to use yet." Leila retrieved her sword, keeping her eyes on the statue.

"What do we with Michael?"

"Put him in your boat, but don't hurt or bind him. His heart is in the right place- he was just sponsored by the wrong person."

"You sure about this, Reyna?" Nico asked, sheathing his sword. "I don't like the idea of you on your own." Blackjack whinnied in protest, Storm headbutted him. The other pegasi began to kick off too, stomping their hooves, tossing their manes, making a ruckus. "Right, right. Sorry." Nico motioned for quiet, smiling sheepishly. "She's got a herd of excellent pegasi." Storm snorted as if to say _damn straight_.

"I'll be fine." Reyna assured. "With luck, we'll meet again soon. We'll fight side by side against Gaia's forces. Be careful. Ave Romae!"

"Ave Romae!" Dakota and Leila repeated, bolstered by the cheer.

"Who is Ave?" Tyson puzzled.

"It means 'Go, Romans'." Reyna patted his forearm. "But, by all means- Go, Greeks!"

"Go, Greeks!" Tyson cheered. Reyna smiled. She turned to Nico. She wanted to hug him but wasn't sure the gesture would be welcomed. Instead, she offered her hand.

"It's been an honour questing with you, Nico." He smiled, taking her hand with a strong grip.

"You're the bravest demigod I've ever met, Reyna. I-" He faltered, remembering their audience. "I won't let you down." He promised. "See you on Half-Blood Hill."

* * *

They went their separate ways as the sky began to lighten in the east. Reyna stood alone on the deck of the _MI AMOR_, except for the eight pegasi and the Athena Parthenos. Six pegasi were still tied to the Athena Parthenos. Storm and Blackjack stood either side of her, as if sensing her unease. Just out of sight, beyond the dark line of hills, her comrades in the Twelfth Legion were preparing for a senseless attack. If Reyna had stayed to lead them perhaps this would not be happening now. She could have guided them better, kept Octavian in line.

_You are a Ramírez-Arellano! _Her father's voice echoed in her mind. _Never abandon your post! Never let anyone in! Above all, never betray your own_!

But she had. The ghosts in San Juan had pointed at her, whispered accusations- _murderer. Traitor_. She could feel the phantom weight of the golden blade she had used to cut down her father's spectre, the final image of his face still in her mind, so full of outrage and betrayal. And now she was helping the Greeks. A true Roman would have destroyed her enemies, but she had joined forces with them. She had left her legion in the hands of a madman.

Storm lay her head on Reyna's shoulder. Blackjack nuzzled her cheek.

"I don't have any treats." She murmured. The breeze shifted over the water and she could smell their coats, a mixture of fresh-cut grass and warm bread. Just like Scipio. A sob that had been expanding in her chest finally escaped. The two pegasi squished her gently between them in what she took as their version of a hug. They made soft nickers, nuzzled her hair, her face. She didn't need a direct translation to understand their reassurance and encouragement.

Reyna looked up at the stars. A praetor could not show weakness or fear to her comrades, she had to be strong. What would Bellona think of her? "Mother," she said, "I haven't prayed to you enough. I've never met you. I've never asked for your help. But please… this morning, give me the strength to do what is right."

As if summoned, a flash burst on the eastern horizon, a light across the Sound. It advanced rapidly and for one glorious moment, Reyna thought Bellona had answered.

But the dark shape got closer. Her elation turned to dread. She waited too long, frozen in disbelief. The shape was close enough to see the large humanoid, sprinting towards her on the surface of the water.

The first arrow hit Blackjack's flank. He collapsed with a shriek of pain. Storm cried out, turning defiantly towards the shape, wings spread in intimidation. Reyna screamed. A second arrow hit the deck between her feet. Attached to it, a glowing LED read-out the size of a wristwatch, counting down from 5:00.

4:59

4:58


	19. Chapter 19

**To RandomFanAuthor- Yep! She's had Storm pretty much since I started writing her character, and who said she was gonna return? And Reyna beating Orion, honestly, one of my fave moments of the series! ^_^ **

**To HoO Fan- Thank you! I was originally just going to take the whole love triangle, but then I was like these guys are teenagers, they need some teenager moments, right? They're practically a family unit, there needed to be more stupid amongst them and Lou fit that bill! And oh my gods, you weren't? I am _definitely_ re-writing those old ones, there's so much that I just threw in, none of it was planned, not really! Jason's death was spoiled for me when I looked up something about him, and then to read it and find out about Jiper no more, I was outright heartbroken, like can't even D: As for the 'Infinity War' style crossover, I have no idea! Maybe if I re-read everything, I don't know! We'll see how things go! Favourite fanfic- there were these ones I read YEARS ago that I absolutely loved, I'm hoping they're still up! I can't think of the name of them currently, but there is one I can remember that I'd recommend, considering it's still about, is Concrete Angel- the author has changed their name now, but it was wonderful and angsty and I've always remembered it! Jiper kids- I did a one-shot FOREVER ago about Jiper kids learning Jason can fly, I think there were two of them, McKenzie and someone else, I can't remember. Chances are I'll probably come up with something else anyway! I've not come up with any Frazel kids just yet, but I love the idea that Solangelo would have a daughter they'd call Bianca- I saw a headcanon of Percy's little sister being Bianca's reincarnation, bittersweet!**

* * *

Percy woke up too late. In his delirium between sleep and consciousness, he recalled everything as a bad dream. He looked to his right. He was in his cabin. Annabeth sat in a chair beside him, pale, dark shadows under her eyes. It wasn't a bad dream.

Tears welled in Annabeth's eyes.

"Percy, I'm so sorry." Percy could hardly hear her. He tried to sit up, the room span violently. Annabeth caught him and set him back, his stomach twisting. His limbs were heavy with pins and needles, an ache pounded through his chest and gut, his throat was parched and felt clawed by incessant screams. He saw Annabeth take his hand in both of hers, but did not feel it. "I'm sorry," she was saying, "I'm sorry. We looked, we… we waited as long as we could, but…" Her voice cracked. They would be in Athens at any moment now, she told him. Frank had turned into various sea creatures, swimming as deep and as far as he could. The others had dived into the shallows, Leo had Festus scan the waters over and over and over. It was Festus that reminded them they had to get to Athens; if they left any later, they might not have made it in time.

Percy heard all of this distortedly, as if he was somewhere under the ocean too.

Somewhere in him, there was a gap where anger should have been. He felt he should rage and scream and demand to go back, to defy them and swim back and look himself.

But he couldn't be angry at Annabeth. His body wouldn't rage, his voice wouldn't scream or work, words lodged in his chest and dissolved through him like hot acid. He could hardly keep his head up, how did he expect to _swim_ back?

Annabeth let go of his hand, wiping her face. She picked a glass off the bedside cabinet, pressing a straw to his lips with shaking fingers. He could taste his mother's chocolate chip cookies. Numbness spiralled from the nectar, chasing away the pins and needles, the hot acid, the aches and tearing pain. His hearing sharpened and he could hear Annabeth trying to muffle her sobs, hiccupping. Protest reared in her eyes as he pushed the glass away. "No, Percy, drink this. Please." He shook his head. He wasn't hurt. Just halved.

* * *

Piper sat with Hazel and Frank at the mess hall table. Hazel had made them all some tea, but the mugs sat before them, going cold. Her eyes were puffy, Frank's were bloodshot. Piper figured she didn't fare much better, sniffing and wiping her nose on the back of her hand.

Footsteps in the door had them all look up. Jason hesitated at their gaze, making his way over. His footsteps fell softly on the floor, but even that felt too loud. He sat next to Piper.

"Percy's awake." He said quietly.

"How is he?" Hazel asked, her voice croaking barely above a whisper.

"He's… a bit out of it." His shoulders hunched. "I think he… their connection, I…" He faltered. He and Frank had found nothing of value on that island. Nothing had attacked them. There were no traps for them, no point to the island. Jason had kept looking, just in case, and Frank had doubled back, wary he may have missed something. They both agreed that the island had been rather… off. It had been a distraction, nothing more.

And that was when the explosion happened.

They had taken one look at the beam of green light scarring the sky and made a beeline for the ship. "The whole way back," Frank had said, "I felt like I should have gone _towards_ that light. _That's_ where the problem was. But… everything in me said to come back, to get away."

Jason had felt the same. Whatever Louisa had done, whatever had caused that blast, it was not something they should have trifled with. Percy's collapse was an additional caution. They stood helpless on the deck of the Argo II as it all happened. They had stayed to look. They had stayed to wait. Louisa was down there somewhere, she had to be. She was simply catching her breath, if that was a thing one could do at the bottom of the ocean. Maybe she was just hiding, waiting for one of them to go past her and grab their leg. Maybe she was taking a break, finally getting some peace and quiet from the crew's so-called idiocy.

Frank confirmed she wasn't at the bottom of the ocean. She wasn't hiding anywhere, no-one had their legs grabbed. And if she _was_ taking a break, it wasn't funny anymore. They weren't _total_ idiots, she didn't need a break _this_ long.

Now, they were close to Athens. The ship was quiet, sans the clattering of the engine, the remaining oars groaning from over-time and Festus creaking on occasion. There was no outrageous swearing, no food bounced off their heads, no dry remarks and cheeky grins or childish games of jump rope, no one climbing onto Frank's shoulders or stealing Jason's glasses, no one crushing their ribs in infamous bear hugs.

Piper looked around the table. Hazel stared at its surface, sniffing softly, wiping at her eyes. Frank sat with his arm around her, staring blankly into space as silent tears fell into her hair. Jason had his hands in his lap, head bowed mutely.

"We're going to go to Athens," Piper said, her voice hoarse, "and we're going to stop those giants. And if Gaia wakes up, we're going to hit her as much as Lou would and then some."

"Permission to cuss her?" Hazel asked, golden eyes blazing. Jason gave a soft laugh.

"For Lou." He agreed. They picked up their cold teas, raising them.

"For Lou."

* * *

Leo stayed at the helm. Festus was creaking and clicking away at him. They would be at Athens within the hour. One way or another, this would all be over. Leo tried to focus on that. He could think of a few giants he personally wanted to smack in the face. He had no doubts for his plan, but it felt more cemented, more in action. _He_ would take down Gaia, _he_ was the fire and _he_ would end this war.

Festus whirred.

"Thanks, buddy." Leo flipped a few switches, adjusted the steering. Atop the console sat a large, spiral seashell, white speckled with reds, oranges and yellows. Leo lay his hand on the gentle ridges of the shell, eyes burning. The dragonhead twisted to look at him. "One thing at a time." Leo said dully, but as soon as he said it, he knew he was lying. It was _never_ one thing at a time.

He had pieced it together. Louisa had said Gaia created the island to slow them down, which she had done. Leo's radars detected no way through or around the island, the ship was in no fit to state to fly over it and even then, that would have been too great a risk. He didn't like them going to investigate, but Louisa was leading the expedition, what could go wrong? She had fist-fought a Titan when she was nine, been possessed by a tree, been eaten by something called a cerastes- he still hadn't figured out what that was- she had survived Chrysaor's attack, she had been willing to give her life for _Leo_ and he had been the first one she sought out as soon as she woke up. Her blood still stained the floor behind him. Leo couldn't clean it. He didn't want to touch it, his skin still itched with her drying blood at the mere thought of it.

It was a reminder- horrible and sickening, but it was. Leo had spent so much of his life alone and outcast, but here was the reminder that someone _wanted_ to fight for _him_. It was the reminder he had someone at his side, the reminder to keep on going. It was a warning and encouragement, he hated it, but it kept him going. In a strange way, it brought him security.

Leo knew the search would be hopeless, but he didn't voice it. Gaia had slowed them down with her island, but that wasn't why she had made it.

It was to take out a key player. The only one of them that wasn't a part of the Seven, but was a big part of their crew. She had weakened Percy. Taken Jason's cousin. Stolen Piper's protegee/best friend. Hazel's big sister. Frank's shoulder-riding rival archer. Annabeth's headache-inducing banter buddy. Leo's foul-mouthed bickering partner-in-crime.

Gaia had killed Louisa to destroy them.

Little did she know that accomplishment was soon to be reversed.


	20. Chapter 20

**To RandomFanAuthor- Siblings are ride or die, that's the bottom line! :P And it wasn't the right time for her to cuss, I'm considering it! Oh yeah, she's _fucked_, she gon' die! **

**To HoO Fan- (Chapter 17) Yes I did just do that! Mwhahaha! That is _exactly_ what I meant about her not being in the final battle, ain't I a stinker? Renya, no/ Percy, previous chapter aaand thank you! ^_^ I figured Jason could use an annoying younger sister as well, I quite enjoy writing their dynamic! And I won't tell Percabeth, as long as you don't! :P Chris and Clarisse are sweet, I get why they were paired, buuuuut I feel Silena and Clarisse could have been SO MUCH BETTER. The Brason/Japler question- no, I was not, but I found it highly amusing and did enjoy watching the streams of fanart pop up. My favourite re-write is probably the Mark of Athena one, but there's so many individual chapters throughout that I just _love_ and am so proud of! ^_^ My BoO has 31 chapters, so got a little while yet! I may post some one-shots before I begin the next story, I like having them finished before publishing otherwise I forget what I'm doing!**

* * *

Orion stood on the surface of the water. Fifty feet from starboard, an arrow nocked in his bow. "I wouldn't move, praetor." Reyna trembled with rage and grief, but she was pleased to notice he had several new scars. He had not escaped his fight with the Hunters and Amazons unscathed. His left mechanical eye was dark, his hair had burned away, his nose was swollen and bright crimson from the bowstring Nico had snapped in his face.

Reyna would have been satisfied with his new look, had he not still worn that smug smile. At her feet, the timer read 4:42. Orion barked a dry laugh. "Explosive arrows are _very_ touchy. Once they're embedded, even the slightest motion can set them off. It'd be a shame if you missed the last four minutes of your life." Storm whinnied angrily, but she knew not to move as well. "I remember you," Orion smiled grimly, "where's your little friend? I have unfinished business with that daughter of Poseidon, she'll regret crossing me."

"I'm sure Lou shares that sentiment." Reyna tipped her chin up. Her senses were beginning to sharpen- the pegasi shifted nervously around the statue. Orange tinged the sky as dawn started to break. A gentle wind rustled past her, bringing a faint scent of strawberries. Beside her, lying on the deck, Blackjack wheezed and shuddered. Storm lowered her head, snuffling at his face and mumbling, concerned. Reyna put a hand on Storm's shoulder, extending her strength to Blackjack. She would _not_ let another pegasus die. "What of my sister?" She demanded.

"I would love to tell you she's dead. I would love to see the pain on your face. Sadly, she still lives. As does Thalia Grace and her annoying Hunters. They surprised me, I will admit. I was forced into the sea to escape them. For the past few days, I have been wounded and in pain, healing slowly, building a new bow. Don't worry, little praetor. You will die first." He looked up at the Athena Parthenos. "Your statue will be burned. After Gaia has risen and the mortal world is ending, I will find your sister, I'll tell her how painfully you died and then I will kill her." He grinned. "All is well!"

4:04

Hylla was alive. Thalia and her Hunters were still out there. None of that would matter if her mission failed. The sun was rising on the last day of the world, Blackjack's breathing was becoming increasingly laboured, Storm glared at Orion and nuzzled her friend worriedly. Reyna drew on her courage. Lord Pegasus had titled her Horse Friend and she would uphold that title if it killed her. The entire world was too big a picture right now. She had to concentrate on what was right next to her

3:54

"So," she glared at Orion with the same fire as Storm, "you're damaged and ugly, but not dead. I suppose that means I'll need the help of a god to kill you."

"Sadly," Orion chuckled, "you Romans have never been very good at summoning gods to your aid. I guess they don't think much of you, mm?" As she laughed, his smile dimmed with annoyance. His good eye blazed furiously.

"Oh, Orion. Bellona _has_ answered my prayer. She doesn't fight my battles for me, she doesn't grant me easy victory. She grants me the opportunities to prove myself. She gives me strong enemies and potential allies."

"You speak nonsense. A column of fire is about to destroy you and your precious statue. No ally can help you. Your mother has abandoned you, just as you abandoned your legion."

"Bellona is not just about _war_. Her temple was where Romans greeted foreign ambassadors. Wars were declared there, but peace treaties were also negotiated. Lasting peace, based on strength."

3:01

Reyna drew her knife. "Bellona gave me the chance to make peace with the Greeks and strengthen Rome. I took it. If I die, I will do so in defence of that chance. So I say my mother is with me today. She will add her strength to mine. Shoot your arrow, Orion. It won't matter. When I throw this blade, it will pierce your heart and you _will_ die." The giant stood still on the waves, his good eye blinking amber.

"A bluff," he decided, "I've killed hundreds of girls like you, girls who thought they could play war, pretend they're equal to giants!"

"You didn't kill my sister. Or Thalia. Or Lou." Reyna smirked.

"The daughter of Poseidon's fate lies elsewhere, but should we meet again, I will not be so lenient." He snarled. "I will not grant you a quick death. I will watch you burn like the Hunters burned me."

2:31

Reyna tried not to think about the 'fate lies elsewhere' comment. Storm had noticed it too, looking very much like she wanted to chew this giant's hands off and smash out his other eye, but the ticking arrow and Blackjack's wheezing kept her in place. The injured pegasus kicked against the deck. The sky faded pink. A shore wind caught the netting on the statue, stripping it away. The Athena Parthenos glowed in the early light and Reyna could envision her as a beautiful addition to Half-Blood Hill.

_She will stand there_, she thought_, it must happen_. She hoped the pegasi could sense her plan. _You must complete the journey without me._ She bowed her head to the statue. "My lady, it has been an honour to escort you."

"You have less than two minutes of life and you're talking to enemy statues?"

"A Roman does not wait for death." Reyna told him, her tone curt and implying his stupidity. "She seeks it out and meets it on her own term." She swung her arm, her knife flew from her hand and it hit true, right where she said it would- in the middle of Orion's chest.

He bellowed with pain, staggering. Reyna took that as a rather pleasing last sound. She flung her cloak in front of her and threw herself on the explosive. She had the chance to shield Blackjack and Storm, the other pegasi and hopefully the mortals below deck, so she took it. Her body may not contain the explosion, her cloak may not have smothered the flames, but this was the best chance to save her friends and her mission.

The arrow exploded. She waited to die- _Lou, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry-_ but felt no more than a small _pop_ against her ribs. Her cloak became rather hot, but no flames. _How was this possible_?

_Rise_, a voice said. Trance-like, Reyna stood. Smoke curled from the edges of her cloak, but it didn't look like _her_ cloak anymore. The purple fabric glittered, as if woven with filaments of Imperial gold. A section of the deck was blackened into a circle of charcoal, but there was no damage to her cloak. _Accept my aegis, Reyna Ramírez-Arellano,_ the voice continued, _for today, you have proven yourself a hero of Olympus. _

Reyna looked up. The voice… it was the Athena Parthenos. The statue had been glowing before, in the sunlight, but now emitted its own light, a soft golden aura. Reyna recalled the word _aegis_, sometimes used to refer to Athena's shield. But it also applied to the goddess's cloak. Legend said that Athena would sometimes cut pieces of her cloak and drape them over statues in her temples or over her chosen heroes, to shield them. And now, Reyna's cloak, which she had worn for years, had become the goddess's aegis.

Her voice would not come, she could not muster the words to thank Athena. The statue's aura slowly faded. Orion was staggering across the surface of the water, roaring with pain.

"You have failed!" He screamed, wrenching the knife from his chest and tossing it away. "I still live!" He drew his bow and fired. Reyna swept her cloak before her and the bolt shattered. She charged the railings and vaulted over, launching herself at the giant. The jump should have been impossible. But Reyna felt a surge of power within her limbs, as if her mother was lending her strength, just as Reyna had done for others over the years.

Her hands encircled the giant's bow and she swung around like a gymnast, landing on his back. Her legs locked around his waist, her hands twisted her cloak into a rope and she yanked it across his throat with this newfound strength. His bow fell from his fingers, sinking beneath the waves. He clawed at the fabric, his fingers steaming and blistering on contact. Sour, acrid smoke billowed from his neck.

"This is for Phoebe," she snarled in his ear, "for Kinzie, Naomi, Celyn. For all those you killed." She tightened the fabric. "You will die, knowing a _girl_ killed you." He thrashed, he tried grabbing for her, tried wrenching away the cloak. Reyna held fast. Not _one_, but _two_ powerful goddesses had aided her, but it was for _Reyna_ to complete the kill.

Orion fell to his knees. Reyna did not relent until his body went limp and began to dissolve into sea foam. His mechanical eye bobbed on the water before it sunk. Reyna would not take it as spoils of war. No part of that giant should survive. He did not deserve to be remembered.

With dawn breaking, Reyna swam for the yacht.

Storm was waiting for her, bucking and kicking her legs in panic. Blackjack's muzzle was foaming, his legs spasming. Blood trickled from the wound in his flank. Reyna dropped at his side, tearing open the supply pack Phoebe had given her. She doused the wound with healing potion. She tipped unicorn draught on the blade of her silver knife. "Please, please." She murmured. She cleaned the wound as best she could, grasping the arrow. "This will hurt, my friend." She warned Blackjack. He huffed. She cut a slit either side of the wound and pulled the arrow out. Blackjack shrieked, Storm fussing over him, licking his face. The arrow came out cleanly.

Reyna poured additional healing potion over the injury, bandaging it and applying pressure. Gradually, the bleeding lessened. With one hand, she gently trickled unicorn draught into Blackjack's mouth. Time swindled past. Reyna counted under her breath. She almost laughed when she felt his pulse become stronger and steadier, shaking with fear and exhaustion as the pain cleared from his eyes and his breathing eased. Storm whinnied in triumph, bouncing like an excited puppy. Reyna pushed herself shakily to her feet. "You'll be fine," she promised, "I'll get you help from Camp Half-Blood." Blackjack grumbled, Storm nudged her with gratitude, huffing air into her face.

Guido neighed sharply. Reyna looked round to see how much the sky had lightened. Guido and the other pegasi pawed the deck impatiently. "The battle…" Reyna breathed, her heart sinking. A Greek trireme lazily sailed past in the morning tide. The hills were beautifully green and peaceful. For a moment, she foolishly hoped the Romans had changed their minds, that Octavian had realised how stupid he was. Perhaps Nico and the others had won over the legion.

An orange glow rippled across the hilltops. Six blazing lines of fire raced skyward. The onagers had launched their first assault.


	21. Chapter 21

**To JasonGraceIsDead- (Chapter 17) AVENGE! (Chapter 18) Stupid indeed and I don't know, are they? O.o **

**To RandomFanAuthor- Crab Rave? And _always_ go with Captain Marvel, she could kick the shit out of me and I'd propose on the spot! I am one of six, lots of sibling experience to draw upon! And Leoisa fluff? Ahahahaha, that's _cuuute_! Theories FLIPPED! Ya'll love me! ^_^ **

**To HoO Fan- (Chapter 18)- Storm is a she! About chapter 17, what's this about Leo dying? Where am I looking? I'm so tired right now, I have zero idea what's going on :P And I cooouulllddd do something unique, but like what? Again, I am open for requests! Were those my one-shots you were reading or others? And your reviews pop out generally throughout the night, so maybe it is the time difference? Not sure!**

* * *

In a morbid sense, Piper was glad Louisa wasn't here. She wasn't sure how well she would have taken snake people. They had docked at the harbour in Piraeus, on the outskirts of Athens. Piper had learned not to assume they were safe- see 'Sciron's-arrow-one-inch-from-her-nose'. Finally reaching their endgame should have brought some relief. They were so close- they would find the Acropolis and today, whatever happened, their journey would be over. However, Piper stayed cautious, having learned her lesson- a surprise could come from anywhere.

And it did- three dudes with snake tails instead of legs. Piper was on watch while her friends prepared for combat, checking weapons and adjusting armour, loading the ballistae and the catapults. The snake dudes slithered along the docks, working their way through the crowds who didn't even notice them.

"Um, Annabeth?" Piper called. Annabeth moved to her side, Percy a step behind her. He scowled.

"Great." He grumbled. "Dracaenae."

"I don't think so." Annabeth frowned. "Dracaena have two snake tails, these guys just have one." Percy peered closer, humming dubiously.

"They look more human on top. Less green and scaly." He sighed. "Talk or fight?" Both girls looked at him, exchanging worried looks. This was the most he had spoken since he had woken up, his voice dull and void. He was still pale, but determination had set in his jaw and darkened his eyes. Piper had always been amazed at how green the twins' eyes were, but now, the sea green in Percy's resembled the murkiness she had experienced in the depths with Louisa.

Percy frowned at her. "They're getting closer." He pointed out. "What do we do?" Piper looked back at the snake men. The one at the front weirdly reminded her of her dad when he had grown a beard for his role in _King of Sparta_. The snake man held his head high, his face was chiselled and bronze, eyes as black as basalt and curly hair just as dark. His upper body was festooned with muscles, covered only by a white wool cloak loosely wrapped and pinned at the shoulder. From the waist down- giant snake. Eight feet of green tail undulated behind him as he wiggled his way along the dock. In one hand, he carried a staff capped with a glowing green jewel. In the other, he held a platter with a silver dome.

The two behind him seemed to be guards, wearing bronze breastplates and elaborate helmets topped with horsehair bristles. Their spears were tipped with green stone points and their oval shields were emblazoned with a large Greek letter K- _kappa_.

The trio stopped a handful of yards from the ship. The leader looked up and studied them intensely, but otherwise his expression was inscrutable.

"Permission to come aboard." He requested in a rasping voice.

"Who are you?" Piper demanded.

"I am Kekrops, the first and eternal king of Athens. I would like to welcome you to my city." He lifted the platter. "I also bring Bundt cake."

"A trick?" Piper asked her friends.

"Probably." Annabeth said. Percy stayed quiet, examining the entourage. Piper suspected he was thinking what she had- where Louisa would have told the snake people to stick their Bundt cake. "Come aboard!" Annabeth called.

* * *

Kekrops agreed to leave his guards above deck. Buford watched over them, his Mini-Hedge ordering them to do twenty push ups. They took this as a challenge. The king was invited to the mess hall.

"Please take a seat." Jason offered.

"Snake people do not sit." Kekrops said distastefully.

"Please remain standing." Leo said, examining the cake. He poked it, figured that was enough and cut himself a slice. Piper opened her mouth to warn him it might be poisoned, but he had already wolfed it down. "Kind of orangey." He remarked, nodding his approval. "Hint of honey. Needs some milk though."

"Snake people do not drink milk." Kekrops said. "We are lactose-intolerant reptiles." Frank looked up at this.

"Me too!" He said. "Lactose-intolerant, not… a reptile. Though I _can_ be a reptile sometimes…" He fell quiet as the king stared at him, unamused. "Sorry, carry on." The king looked around the group, all sat around the table. Leo was working his way through the cake, cutting slices and offering it around.

Kekrops's eyes landed on a seat beside Percy. He pointed.

"Are you waiting for someone?" He asked. The air grew still around them. Leo set down his cake. Sparks flitted on Jason's arms. Plumbing rattled distantly; Percy looked ready to throw the king through a wall.

"King Kekrops," Hazel said quickly, "what brings you here? How did you know we were here?"

"I know everything that happens in Athens." Kekrops said, watching Percy carefully. "I was the city's founder, its first king, born of the earth. I am the one who judged the dispute between Athena and Poseidon. I chose Athena to be the patron of my city." Percy grunted, slouching in his seat. Annabeth automatically elbowed him.

"I've heard of you," she said, "you were the first to offer sacrifices to Athena. You built her first shrine on the Acropolis."

"Correct." Kekrops sounded bitter. "My people were the _original_ Athenians- the gemini." Percy's brown furrowed.

"Like the zodiac sign?" He asked gruffly. "We're…" His gaze fell on the empty seat beside him. "I'm a Leo."

"No, stupid." Leo said, trying for a smile. "I'm a Leo. You're a Percy." Hazel cleared her throat and Leo did his best to look contrite.

"I think he means gemini, like doubled. Half man, half snake. That's what his people are called. Geminus, singular." Kekrops leaned away from her, as if she had offended him.

"Yes…" He said uncertainly. "Millennia ago, we were driven underground, by the two-legged humans, but I know the ways of the city better than any. I came to warn you. To approach the Acropolis above ground will be suicidal. You will be destroyed by Porphyrion's armies. The Acropolis is surrounded by onagers."

"_More_ onagers?" Frank protested.

"The Cyclopes." Hazel guessed. "They're supplying to both sides of the war."

"That is not the only threat." Kekrops continued. "The air is stuffed with storm spirits and gryphons. All roads to the Acropolis are patrolled by the Earthborn." He looked around at them. "I offer you an alternative. An underground passage to the Acropolis. For the sake of Athena, for the sake of the gods, I will help you."

"What's the catch?" Piper asked. Something in his voice unsettled her. The king turned those unreadable dark eyes on her.

"Only a small party of demigods, no more than three, could pass undetected. Your scent would otherwise betray your presence. Our underground passages could lead you straight to the Acropolis. Once there, you could disable the siege weapons by stealth and allow the rest of your crew to approach. With luck, you could take the giants by surprise and disrupt their ceremony." He scanned the group again before refocusing on Piper. "It has begun, the earth trembles. The gemini are your best chance."

The crew looked at each other.

"Splitting up doesn't sound good." Jason said. "Isn't that how people get killed in horror movies?"

"And won't we be playing straight into Gaia's hands?" Percy frowned. Annabeth bit her lip, her eyes locking with Piper's. It was taking some getting used to, Annabeth looking to Piper for advice, but since Sparta, they worked to tackle a problem from two different sides- logical and instinctual.

Kekrops's offer made sense. But Piper didn't trust it, the snake king was hiding something.

_You were named Piper because Grandpa Tom thought you would have a powerful voice. You would learn all the Cherokee songs, even the song of the snakes_. Her father's voice came from nowhere, bringing with it the memory of a different myth from a different culture. It spurred her to sing, 'Summertime' flowing from her lips.

Kekrops stared at her, expression slackening in amazement. He began to sway. Everyone listened, engaged and in awe. She finished the first verse, glaring at the snake king.

"What are your real intentions?" She asked.

"To deceive you." He said lightly, still swaying. "We hope to lead you into the tunnels and destroy you."

"Why?"

"Gaia promised us great rewards. If we spill your blood under the Parthenon, that will be enough to wake her."

"But you serve Athena. You founded her city." Piper said. Kekrops hissed.

"And in return, the goddess replaced me with a two-legged human king, drove my daughters to madness. They leaped to their deaths from the cliffs of the Acropolis. The gemini were driven underground and forgotten. Athena turned her back on us, but we are children of the Gaia. She has promised us a place in the sun of the upper world."

"Gaia is lying." Piper told him. "She wants to wipe out the upper world, she won't give it to anyone." Kekrops snarled, baring his fangs.

"Then we will be no worse off than we were under the treacherous gods!" He raised his staff. Piper sang the next verse of 'Summertime'. His arms went limp, eyes glassing over.

"The giants' defences, the underground passage. How much of what you said is true?"

"All of it."

"So you _could_ guide us through your tunnels?" Piper prompted. He nodded. "And if you ordered your people _not_ to attack us, would they obey?" The king shuddered.

"Yes, they would obey. Three of you at most can go without drawing attention."

"He'll kill us at the first opportunity." Annabeth said.

"Yes." Kekrops agreed. "Only this girl's music controls me. I hate it, sing more." Piper obliged with another verse.

"So who goes?" Leo asked.

"Me and Percy." Annabeth suggested. "The oldest shrines on Acropolis are to Athena and Poseidon. Kekrops, would that hide us?"

"Yes, your scent would be well masked. The ruins always radiate those gods' powers."

"And me." Piper said as her song drew to a close. "You'll me need to keep him in line." She nodded at Kekrops. Jason squeezed her hand.

"I still don't like this splitting up idea, but…"

"It's our best shot." Frank finished for him. "You three sneak in, disable the onagers and cause a distraction. Then we fly in with ballistae blazing."

"Yes, that could work." Kekrops nodded. "If I don't kill you first."

"I have an idea." Annabeth said. "Piper, keep singing. Frank, Leo, Hazel, let's talk."

* * *

Yes, Louisa would have been _very_ pleased to miss out on this. The trio of snake men led them through the sewers, through an iron storm gate and straight into their lair. It stunk of rotting fish, mould and snakeskin. Louisa would have thrown the towel in there and then, if she hadn't already. Piper struggled to sing about summertime and cotton and easy living down here, but she kept at it. If she stopped for even a minute, their guides would hiss and starting looking for a fight.

Annabeth took Percy's hand, glancing around. Her expression was carefully arranged, but nervousness tightened her shoulders. Piper's voice echoed through the tunnels. The deeper they walked into the tunnels, the more snake people gathered to listen. It didn't take long for a procession to follow them, dozens of gemini all swaying and slithering.

They passed through crude stone chambers littered with bones. They scrambled up slopes steep and slippery, near impossible to stay on their feet. They passed a cavern spilling warmth and more reptilian stench; it was filled with snake eggs. Piper had the mental image of Louisa stomping through them and cursing, _no snakes no snakes_! What would she have made of Piper singing the snake song?

_Keep singing, Piper_, she thought, her eyes stinging, _you can't quit now_, _Lou would never let you live it down_.

She thought she heard her own heartbeat echoing through the tunnels. But it grew louder and louder the further they went. The persistent _boom ba-boom_ resonated through the stone and the air. Piper belatedly realised it wasn't her heart, fear trembling her hands.

_I wake_. A woman's voice smiled, as clear as Piper's singing. Annabeth froze, pale as a sheet.

"It's like Tartarus," Percy said blankly, staring at the ground, "like… like his heartbeat. When he appeared-"

"Don't." Annabeth pleaded, squeezing her eyes shut.

"Sorry."

_At last_, Gaia's voice spoke again. Piper's singing faltered. Fear crashed over her, but it wouldn't control her. Phobos and Deimos were old friends to her now. The fear burned inside her, fuelling her song. She sang for the snake people, her friends- why not for Gaia too?

They reached the top of a steep slope as she neared the end of her song. The path ended in a curtain of green goo. Kekrops turned to them, his eyes still dazed.

"Beyond this camouflage is the Acropolis. You must remain here. I will check that your way is clear."

"Wait." Piper ordered. She faced the crowd of gemini. "There is only death above." She called. "You will be safer in your tunnels. Hurry back. Forget you saw us. Protect yourselves." Her terror filled her charmspeak perfectly. The amass of snake people, even the guards, turned and vanished into the darkness. Only their king remained. "Kekrops," Piper faced him, "you're planning to betray us as soon as you step through that goo."

"Yes, I will alert the giants." He hissed. "Why did I tell you that?"

"Listen to Gaia's heartbeat. You can sense her rage, can't you?"

"I can, yes." He wavered. "She is angry."

"She will destroy everything. Your city will be a smoking crater, your people will die with it. You believe me, don't you?"

"I… I do."

"So you will _not_ betray us." Piper instructed. "For your own sake and for your people, you will scout the territory and make sure it _is_ clear. You will say nothing to the giants and come back here when you're done."

"Yes." He agreed. He slithered through the green goo.

"Piper," Annabeth stared at her, awed, "that was incredible." Piper sat down on the cool stone floor. Percy and Annabeth crouched next to her. Percy handed over a canteen of water.

"Thank you." She said, suddenly realising how parched her throat was. He nodded, frowning at the goo wall.

"Will the charm last?" He asked.

"I'm not sure." Piper admitted. "If Kekrops comes back in two minutes with an army of giants, then no." Gaia's heartbeat echoed through the floor. Somehow, it reminded Piper of the sea, of how the waves boomed along the cliffs of Santa Monica back home. What would her father be doing right now? It would be the dead of night in California. Maybe he was asleep, maybe he doing a late-night TV interview. Piper hoped he was in his favourite spot: the porch in the living room, watching the moon over the Pacific, having some down time. In case they failed, it soothed Piper to imagine him happy and content.

She thought of her siblings in the Aphrodite cabin, her cousins in Oklahoma. That last one threw her a little, she hardly knew her cousins, but it saddened her that there was a portion of family she hadn't made time for, might not get time for again. She thought of Louisa, looking at Percy. He was watching the goo door, eyes distant. Annabeth sipped from the canteen, tracing a pattern in the dirt between her feet with her finger. Piper wished she had taken more advantage of her life. Losing Louisa had settled that notion in her mind, but with the end of the world just the other side of that wall, it possessed her body. She would not change her time on the Argo II for anything, she had found a family in its crew. But she had so many other friends and relatives she wished she could see one last time. She wished she had spent more time with Louisa, that complete and utter disaster who looked at Piper as if she spoke another language at times, whose presence had been a headache and a comfort simultaneously.

"What?" Percy said. Piper jumped- she had been staring.

"Sorry, I… I was just thinking about my family and… Lou." Percy looked away, hunching his shoulders. Annabeth put a hand on his knee, he wiped at his face.

"I don't know how to tell Mom." He said quietly. "Or Jessica, I-" He sniffed. "I- I haven't _seen_ Mom since Hera took me away. I called her from Alaska, I gave Coach some letters to deliver, but…" His voice broke. "I don't know how… if we get out of here, I don't know how to go back without…" He wiped at his face again. "Lou would kick me if she could see me now." He half-joked.

"Who are you kidding, she would _never_ come down here." Annabeth shook her head. "She would have taken one look at Kekrops and _swum_ home, you know that." Percy smiled weakly. He grasped Annabeth's hand gratefully. Piper smiled, squeezing his shoulder.

"What about you, Annabeth?"

"My dad… my stepmom and stepbrothers." She toyed with the drakon-bone blade in her lap. "After everything this past year, it seems stupid that I resented them for so long. And… on my dad's side, I've got an uncle and a cousin in Boston. I haven't thought about them in years." She sighed. Percy's brow creased.

"You, with the Yankees cap? You've got family in Red Sox country?"

"I never see them, Seaweed Brain, don't get your knickers in a bunch. My dad and my uncle don't get along, some old rivalry." She shrugged. "It's stupid what keeps people apart."

"If we get out of this," Percy said, "remind me to throw something heavy at Dad." He frowned. "And Hera. All that time we've lost…" He looked at Annabeth. She smiled sadly; she could see he talked about their months apart, but his eyes remained murky, thinking of a lifetime he could have had with a sister he had just met before Hera's intervention.

The goo wall rippled. They readied their swords, on their feet, but Kekrops emerged alone.

"The way is clear," he said, "but hurry. The ceremony is almost complete."


	22. Chapter 22

**To RandomFanAuthor- nope, never heard of them! They on youtube, I'll have a look when I remember? :P And they used onagers in the books, so they use onagers now :D And that was my goal, thank you! ^_^ **

**To HoO Fan- (Chapter 19) my 50th review! Thank you! And I can't say what gave me the idea, I'm just mean like that. But thank you! ^_^ As for Hazel swearing- watch this space! As for that pun, that was _terrible,_ I love it! Lou will be missed- RIP, you dumbass.**

* * *

About five miles east of camp, a black SUV was parked on the beach. They docked the boat and Nico had to help Dakota and Leila drag Michael Kahale ashore. He was still half-conscious, mumbling football calls and giggling uncontrollably.

"We'll leave him here," Leila said, "just don't bind him."

"What about the car?" Dakota asked. "The keys are in the glove box, can you drive?"

"I thought _you _could drive!"

"I never learned! I was busy!"

"I've got it covered." Nico interrupted, gaining stunned looks.

"Aren't you, like, fourteen?"

"Actually, I'm seventy-eight. But I never said I'd be driving."

"I _knew_ you were a vampire." Dakota hissed. Nico ignored him, kneeling and placing a hand on the ground. He was rather amused by the nervousness he instilled in the Romans, no matter how much bigger or older or more experienced they were than him. He extended his senses into the Underworld. "Jules-Albert," he called, "let's go." The ground split and he took a step back. A zombie in a torn and dirty nineteenth-century motoring outfit grappled his way to the surface. Leila jolted backwards a few feet. Dakota screamed and backpedalled, arms flailing.

"_What is that_?" He screeched.

"This is my driver." Nico said simply. "Jules-Albert finished first in the Paris-Rouen motorcar race back in eighteen-ninety-five, but he wasn't awarded the prize because his steam car used a stoker."

"What?" Leila puzzled.

"Basically he's a restless soul looking for another chance to drive. He's been my driver the last few years, whenever I've needed one."

"So… you've got a zombie chauffeur?" Leila eyed Jules-Albert warily. Nico nodded.

"I call shotgun." He smiled.

The Romans sulked in the backseat as Jules-Albert drove them up the hill. He never got emotional, he could sit in crosstown traffic all day without succumbing to road rage. They passed encampments of wild centaurs and Jules-Albert navigated through them with hardly a second look.

The centaurs were… strange, to put it simply. The horse-part of their bodies were like palominos, tattoos smothered their arms and chests, bullish horns grew from their foreheads. At least two hundred of them were sparring restlessly, some were roasting animal carcasses over open fires. Their camp crossed the farm road that wound around Camp Half-Blood's southeast perimeter.

Jules-Albert nudged the SUV through, honking when necessary. A centaur would glare through the driver's window and would then quickly hurry away at the zombie occupant.

"Pluto's pauldrons," Dakota muttered, "more centaurs arrived overnight."

"Don't make eye contact." Leila warned. "They take that as a challenge to duel to the death." Nico snickered. "What's so funny?"

"Louisa and I scouted a centaur camp like this a few years ago. She made a person out of sticks, leaves and some old clothes and stuck googly eyes on it. The centaurs tried to fight it, but didn't realise she had put several goo arrows inside." He smiled wistfully. "There's nothing quite like half a dozen centaurs covered in bright pink goo and glitter threatening to kill you and your leafy buddy."

"Yes, of course." Leila agreed. Nico saw her bewilderment in the rear view mirror, saw Dakota shrug his shoulders helplessly. Nico focused straight ahead, his cheer at the memory ebbing as more and more monsters appeared.

Nico had mixed emotions about Camp Half-Blood, but to see how Octavian had endangered it so made him angry. He may have felt rejected, unwanted and unloved at Camp Half-Blood, but seeing it on the cusp of destruction made him realise how much it actually meant to him. This was the last place he and Bianca had shared a home, the only place they had been safe, even if it had only lasted a little while.

They came to a bend in the road and Nico sighed, clenching his fists. More monsters, _hundreds_ more. Dog-headed men moved in packs, poleaxes gleaming in the light of campfires and growling at anything that moved. Two-headed men dressed in rags and blankets were arming themselves with slings, clubs and metal pipes.

"Octavian is an idiot." Nico grumbled. "He can't control these creatures."

"They just kept showing up." Leila said. "Look." She pointed. The legion had formed up in five cohorts in perfect order at the base of Half-Blood Hill. Its standards were bright and proud. Giant eagles circled the air above them. The six onagers, each one the size of a house, stood in a loose semi-circle, three behind each flank. But no matter how impressive and disciplined the Twelfth Legion looked, they were pitifully tiny, a splotch of demigod valour in a sea of ravenous monsters.

If he still had Diocletian's sceptre, Nico could have summoned a legion of dead warriors, but he doubted it would even make a dent in the swell of this army.

"I have to disable the onagers." Nico said. "We don't have much time."

"You'll never get close to them. Even if the Fourth and Fifth Cohorts agreed to follow us, the other cohorts will try to stop us. And the onagers are manned by Octavian's most loyal followers."

"It's OK, I have an idea. Jules-Albert will drive you to the legion lines. Get out, talk to your troops, convince them to follow your lead. I'll need a distraction."

"Alright," Dakota frowned, "but I'm not hurting any of my fellow legionnaires."

"I'm not asking you to." Nico replied evenly. "But if we don't stop this war, the _entire_ legion will be massacred. How easily insulted are these monster tribes?"

"Very." Leila nodded.

"If you say _anything_ to those two-headed guys about how they smell, they'll… ooohhhh," Dakota grinned, "if we startled a brawl, by total accident, of course…" His smile turned sly.

"I'll be counting on you." Nico said.

"But how will you-?" Leila began.

"Like this." Nico smiled, fading into the shadows.

Yeah, he shouldn't have done that. Even after three days of rest and Coach's magic healing with gooey brown stuff, Nico began to dissolve as soon as he touched the shadows. His limbs became vapour, cold seeped through his chest. Voices of spirits clamoured for his attention in panicked whispers, _help us, remember us, join us_.

Nico suddenly realised how much he had relied on Reyna lending her strength. He wobbled dangerously, the cold almost became too much. Shadows pressed in, the spirits began to scream.

_No_, _I am Nico di Angelo, son of Hades. _I_ control the shadows. They do not control me. _

His feet hit solid ground, he staggered. He was back, at the crest of Half-Blood Hill. He landed on his knees, hugging Thalia's pine tree for support. The Golden Fleece was no longer in its branches. The guardian dragon, Peleus, was gone. Maybe they had been moved for extra protection. He looked down at the Roman forces, just outside the valley, and his spirit wavered.

The nearest onager was a hundred yards downhill. A circle of spiked trenches and guarded by a dozen demigods. The machine was ready to fire, a projectile the size of a Honda Civic, glistening with flecks of gold. It was a mixture of explosives and Imperial gold. Small amounts of Imperial gold could be incredibly deadly, but when exposed to too much heat or pressure, it could vaporise and disintegrate anything within the blast zone.

"Evil," Nico said, "this is evil." He tried to get his thoughts back on track. Dawn was breaking. He couldn't possibly take down all six weapons before the attack began, he doubted he could make one more jump, let alone six. His eyes fell on a Roman command tent. No doubt, Octavian would be hiding in there, enjoying a hearty breakfast safely away from the fighting. He would not lead from the front, he would wait for the onagers to do their damage and march in unopposed. Nico's throat tightened with hate. Maybe he shouldn't have stopped Louisa from trying to kill the augur so many times.

He focused on the tent, picturing his next jump. If he could finish the job Louisa had strived to do for so long, the attack order might never come.

"Nico?"

Nico whipped round, distracted, sword in hand. Will Solace yelped, ducking a split second before he lost his head. "Put that down!" He hissed. "What are you _doing_ here?" Nico saw two other campers crouched in the grass behind him, binoculars around their necks, daggers at their side. They wore black jeans and T-shirts, black grease paint on their faces.

"_Me_?" Nico asked. "What are _you _doing?"

"We're scouting the enemy, duh. We took precautions."

"You dressed all in black with the sun coming up. You painted your face, but didn't cover your hair- you may as well be waving a yellow flag and yelling 'Here I am, please eat me!'" Will's ears reddened and he glared at Nico.

"Lou Ellen wrapped some Mist around us too." He muttered.

"Hi." The girl next to him waggled her fingers in greeting. "This is Cecil from the Hermes cabin." Nico knelt next to them.

"Did Coach Hedge make it to camp?" He asked.

"He made it _just_ in time for the birth." Will nodded. Nico grinned. "Mother and baby are fine. A very cute little satyr boy." Will shuddered. "Have you ever delivered a baby?"

"Um, no."

"I had to get some fresh air." Will grimaced. "That's why I volunteered to come out here. Gods of Olympus, my hands are still shaking, see?" He grasped Nico's hand, which shot an electric current down Nico's spine. He quickly wiggled his hand free.

"Well, I'm glad they're OK-"

"Don't deliver a baby." Will advised.

"I'll take that under advisement." He looked back at the Romans. "They're attacking at dawn, I've got to-"

"We know," Will said, "but forget about shadow travelling into that tent." Nico glared at him.

"Excuse me?" Will met his gaze steadily, annoyingly determined. Lou Ellen and Cecil ducked down, the expected reaction to Nico's irritation.

"Coach told me about your shadow travel. You _will_ not try that again."

"I just _did_, Solace. I'm fine."

"Pfft, liar. I'm a _healer_. I could feel the darkness on your hand. Even if you made it to the tent, you'd be in no shape to fight. But you _wouldn't _make it," he glared back at Nico as he started to protest, "so you are _not_ shadow travelling. Doctor's orders."

"The camp-"

"We'll stop the Romans," Will nodded, "but we'll do it our way. Lou Ellen will control the Mist, we'll sneak around, do as much damage as we can to those onagers. But _absolutely_ no shadow travel."

"But-"

"_No_. Don't make me tell Lou." Will warned. Nico scowled. Lou Ellen and Cecil were watching them, heads turning back and forth to the speaker, hooked. Nico sighed, revising his impression of Will Solace. He had always thought he was easy-going and laidback. It seemed he was also stubborn and annoying.

Nico looked down at Camp Half-Blood. Greeks were running about, preparing for war. Past the troops and the ballistae, the canoe lake glittered pink in the first light of dawn. Nico looked up at the sky, remembering how he had first arrived at Camp Half-Blood; crash-landing in Apollo's fiery school bus. He looked at Will- Apollo had brought him here and now, what would most likely be his last day at camp, he was stuck with a son of Apollo.

"Fine." He decided. "But we have to hurry. And you'll follow _my_ lead."

"Fine." Will said. "As long as I don't have to deliver any more satyr babies, we'll get along great."

They reached the first onager as cries went up from the Fifth Cohort. Legionnaires scattered and dropped their pila. A dozen centaurs charged through the ranks, screaming and swinging their clubs. Hot on their heels, a horde of two-headed men banging on trash-can lids.

"What's going on?" Lou Ellen frowned.

"My distraction." Nico said, smirking at Will's surprise. "Come on." The Romans had clustered on the right of the onager to see what was going on in the ranks. This gave Nico and his team a clear shot to the left. They passed within a few feet of the nearest Roman, but he didn't see them. Lou Ellen's Mist magic seemed to be doing its job.

They hopped over the spiked trench and reached the machine.

"I brought Greek fire." Cecil whispered.

"No, too obvious." Nico shook his head, examining the weapon. "Can you aim it, like, towards the other onagers' firing lines?" He motioned with his hand, Cecil followed his point.

"Ooh, I like the way you think. They sent me because I'm _really good_ at messing things up." Cecil grinned. He set to work while the others stood guard. The Fifth Cohort was now fighting with the two-headed men, the Fourth rushed to their aid. The other three cohorts held their positions, but their officers were struggling to keep order. "Done." Cecil announced, still grinning. "Next one."

The Mist didn't work so well this time. One of the guards yelled.

"Got this." Will sprinted off, which was probably the stupidest diversion Nico had ever seen and he had seen _Louisa-_diversions. Six guards chased after Will. The other Romans turned on Nico. Lou Ellen materialised from the Mist with a cheeky grin.

"Catch!" She yelled, lobbing a white ball the size of an apple. On instinct, the middle Roman caught it. A twenty-foot sphere of powder exploded from it and, once it settled, all six Romans were squealing pink piglets.

"Nice." Nico nodded approvingly.

"Well, that's my only pig ball, don't expect an encore."

"Um," Cecil pointed, "Will might need help." Despite their armour, the Romans were gaining on Solace. Nico swore under his breath and raced after them. He tripped the Roman at the back, drawing the others' attention. He leaped into the crowd, kneeing and kicking groins, slapping faces with the flat of his blade and bonking them on the heads with his pommel. It wasn't long until the Romans lay on the ground, groaning and dazed.

"Thanks for the assist." Will grinned, slugging hi arm. "Six at once, not bad."

"_Not bad_?" Nico repeated. "Next time, I'll just let them get you."

"Ah, they'd never catch me." Will shrugged. Cecil waved at them, his job was done. They moved on to the third onager.


	23. Chapter 23

**To RandomFanAuthor- Keep reminding me, I'll listen to it at some point! And I looked up his birth year and what year BoO is set, worked it out from that! Jules-Albert is a godsend, literally, love the dude! **

**To JasonGraceIsDead- (Chapter 19) Yes and yes. (Chapter 20) Yes and no**

**To HoO Fan- extra chapters, wait and see! The one-shots, I'm definitely going to do the couple ones, there may be a few scenarios I come up with, but will see how it pans out! If you, or anyone else, have any requests for couple one-shots, let me know! I will be posting them after the rewrites are published, and before my next story continuing on from the rewrites! Lou is gone, bye Lou! But there will be subtle hints of Solangelo, a pairing that has a couple of one-shots written up anyway!**

* * *

Walking through the goo wall was like walking through a giant's nostril. Luckily, none of the gunk stuck to her, but her skin still crawled with revulsion. They found themselves in a cool, damp pit that seemed to be the basement level of a temple. Uneven ground lunged into darkness under a low stone ceiling. Right above their heads, a rectangle was cut open to the sky. Piper could see the edges of walls and the tops of columns, but no monsters… yet.

Piper looked back. Their gooey entrance had disappeared. She put her hand on the wall where it had been, feeling solid rock.

"Well, that's great." She sighed. Percy frowned at the wall. Annabeth was crouching, running her hand along some marks on the ground. Her fingers passed over a jagged crow's-foot shape as long as she was tall. The area was lumpy and white.

"Percy," she said, "these are the trident marks of Poseidon." Percy focused on her, stunned. After a moment, he crouched and touched the marks too. "This is where he struck the earth," Annabeth continued, "where he made a saltwater spring appear when he went against my mom to sponsor Athens."

"So, the rivalry started here?"

"Yes." Percy pulled Annabeth close and kissed her. Long enough for it to get _really_ awkward for Piper. She could almost hear Louisa's usual reflexive gagging.

When Percy pulled away, his eyes seemed a little lighter. Annabeth's face was a delicate rosy pink.

"Love you, Wise Girl." Annabeth gave a little sigh, something in her chest seemingly melting. Percy glanced at Piper. "Sorry, I had to do that."

"I ship it."

"Uh…" Annabeth cleared her throat, still blushing, her fingers laced with Percy's. "Anyway… we're, um, beneath the Erechtheion. It's a temple to both Athena and Poseidon. The Parthenon should be diagonally to the southeast of here." She pointed. "We'll need to sneak around the perimeter and take out as many siege weapons as we can. That way we can make an approach path for the Argo."

"It's broad daylight." Piper said. "How are we going to _sneak_?"

"I made a plan with Frank and Hazel," Annabeth said, watching the sky, "hopefully… ah, look." A bee zipped overhead. Dozens more followed. They swarmed around a column, lingering over the opening of the pit. "Say hi to Frank." Annabeth smiled. Piper waved and the bees flew away.

"How-? Wait, which… how does one Frank turn into loads of bees?" Piper puzzled. Annabeth just shrugged. "Fair enough."

"He's our go-between, he'll give Hazel the signal and then we'll-"

"What the-?" Percy yelped. Annabeth clamped a hand over his mouth. Which was rather… weird, as they had all turned into hulking six-armed Earthborn, including a lovely Neanderthal body with a nice coating of hair, a loincloth, stubby legs and over-sized feet. If she focused, she could see her own body, but when she moved, Hazel's Mist rippled like mirages into three different sets of Earthborn arms.

"Let's get going," Annabeth's Earthborn said, "I'll move clockwise around the perimeter. Piper, you go counter-clockwise. Percy, the middle."

"We're walking right into a blood-spilling sacrifice that we've been warned about for months and you want to split up _even more_?"

"We need to hurry and we'll cover more ground that way." Annabeth glanced around. "That chanting…" An ominous drone had filled the distance, like hundreds of engines idling. Gravel trembled on the ground, drifting southeast.

"Right." Piper nodded. "We'll meet up at the giant's throne."

* * *

Piper's stroll along the cliffs of the Acropolis began rather unchallenged. Monsters were everywhere, in hundreds and hundreds of ogres, Earthborn and Cyclopes. The majority of them had gathered at the Parthenon, engrossed in the ceremony. Piper went past them without detection.

Three Earthborn were basking in the sun near the first onager. Piper smiled sweetly as she walked up to them. "Hello." They had a chance to open their eyes and then she cut them down with her sword. They melted into slag heaps. She cut the onager's spring cord, disabling the weapon, and moved on. She gave a patrol of Cyclopes a wide berth. The second onager was amidst a camp of Laistrygonian ogres. Piper wiggled her way through to the machine without a second glance, dispensing a vial of Greek fire in the sling. As soon as the catapult was loaded, it would explode in the ogres' faces.

Gryphons nested on the colonnade of an old temple. Empousai were slumbering in the shadowed archway, their hair flickering dimly. As Piper snuck through, she cut down isolated monsters. She left larger groups. The group at the Parthenon grew larger, the chanting became louder. She couldn't see what was going on in the ruins, aside from thirty-odd giants' heads standing in a circle, mumbling and swaying.

She cut through the third onager's torsion ropes; the Argo II's northern route was now clear. She hoped bee-swarm-Frank had hung around- how long would it take for the ship to get there?

She was halfway to the fourth onager when the chanting stopped.

_BOOM_.

The giants roared victoriously. Monsters swarmed towards the celebration. Piper melted into the crowd of sour-smelling Earthborn. She was ushered up the main steps of the temple, scrambling up metal scaffolding so she could see over the monsters.

Dozens of giants stood in a loose ring around Porphyrion's throne. They hollered, screaming and shaking their weapons vigorously, as two of them paraded around the circle. Princess Periboia had scruffed Annabeth like a feral cat. Enceladus had Percy trapped in a huge fist. They struggled to no avail, displayed to the cheering swell of monsters.

Their captors stopped before the throne. King Porphyrion smiled coldly, his white eyes gleaming with malice.

"Welcome, demigods!" He boomed. "The blood of Olympus has arrived, to raise the Earth Mother!" Cheers exploded around the ruins, near deafening and shredding the last of the steel from Piper's nerves. She watched, horrified, as Porphyrion stood. He was almost as tall as the temple columns. His face was as green as bile, a twisted sneer, his seaweed-coloured hair braided with swords and axes taken from defeated demigods.

He peered at Percy and Annabeth, taking delight in their desperate wriggling. "They arrived just as you foresaw, Enceladus! Well done!"

"It was simple, my king." Enceladus bowed his head, the bones decorating his dreadlocks clattering. "I knew these two would lead the assault," he continued, "I understand how they think. Athena and Poseidon, just like their children! They all came here to claim this city! Their arrogance has undone them!" Percy kicked at his arm, scowling. Enceladus shook him, grinning. "This one is weakened by the loss of his sister. Mother Earth was right- she was an obstacle we could not afford."

"Agreed." Porphyrion mused. He poked Percy, who swore at him. "A pity- the blood of twin demigods would have been _extraordinarily _potent, especially ones of the Big Three. A true rarity, but alas. Gaia knew what she was doing and I do not question her decisions." Percy tried kicking him, pale. His expression was angry, but terror filled his eyes.

Piper came to a realisation- as the daughter of Aphrodite, no one ever took her seriously. But now… it was her advantage.

Annabeth tried to speak, but Periboia shook her by the neck.

"Shut up!" She warned. "None of your silver-tongued trickery!" The princess drew a knife as long as Piper's sword. "Let me do the honours, Father!"

"Wait." Porphyrion said. "The sacrifice must be done properly. Thoon, the destroyer of the Fates, come forward!" The elderly, shrivelled grey giant shuffled into sight, wielding an oversized meat cleaver. He fixed his milky eyes on Annabeth.

Percy yelled. A hundred yards away, at the opposite end of the Acropolis, a geyser of water erupted. The king laughed.

"You'll have to do better than that, son of Poseidon!" Porphyrion stuck his little finger under Percy's chin, tipping his head back. "The earth is too powerful here. Even your father wouldn't be able to summon more than a saltwater spring." He chuckled. "Maybe if you still had your sister, you could have summoned it a little closer."

"Leave him alone!" Annabeth screamed. Periboia shook her again. Piper scanned the sky frantically; _where the hell was the ship?_

Thoon knelt. He lay the blade of his cleaver against the earth, bowing his head as if in prayer.

"Mother Gaia," he said, his voice impossibly deep. The ruins shook, the metal scaffolding beneath Piper's feet rattled. "In ancient times, blood mixed with your soil to create life. Now, let the blood of these demigods return the favour. We bring you to full wakefulness. We greet you as our eternal mistress!"

Piper acted on instinct. She launched herself from her perch, flying over the heads of Cyclopes and ogres. She landed in the middle of the courtyard, pushing her way into the circle of giants. As Thoon rose to use his cleaver, she slashed with her sword. His hand fell to the ground. He wailed, cradling the stump. Her Mist disguise seeped away, leaving her as regular old Piper.

"WHAT IS THIS?" Porphyrion bellowed. "How _dare_ you interrupt, you weak, _useless_ creature!"

"Shut up." Piper followed her instincts and attacked.

She had three advantages- she was small, she was quick, and she was absolutely insane. Louisa would have been proud. Piper threw Katoptris at Enceladus, hoping she didn't hit Percy. She darted to one side without seeing where her knife went. Going by the giant's pained howling, she had aimed well.

Several giants charged her. Piper zipped between their legs, smirking as their heads clonked together. She weaved through the crowd, stabbing at dragon-scale feet and yelling orders.

"RUN!" She demanded. "RUN AWAY!"

"NO, STOP HER!" Porphyrion thundered. "KILL HER!" A spear whistled past her ear. Piper swerved and sprinted away. A huge sword fell into her path. She vaulted over the blade, zig-zagging her way to Annabeth. The blonde was still kicking and struggling in Periboia's hold.

"I think not, demigod!" Periboia grinned wickedly. "This one bleeds!" She hefted her knife. Piper screamed, mustering all the charmspeak she could.

"MISS!"

Annabeth pulled her knees up to her chest, making herself a smaller target. The blade passed under her, delving into the giantess's own palm. She screeched with pain, dropping Annabeth- alive, but not unscathed. A deep gash gushed on the back of her thigh. Annabeth rolled as she fell to the ground. Scarlet soaked into the earth. Dread turned Piper's innards to ice. _The blood of Olympus._

Piper lunged at the giantess, her jagged sword crackling ice cold in her hands. Periboia glanced down to see the sword of the Boread vanish into her gut. Frost rippled across her bronze breastplate. Piper wrenched her sword free. The giantess fell backwards, steaming white and frozen solid.

"My daughter!" Porphyrion cried. He levelled his spear and charged.

He forgot about Percy.

Enceladus had dropped him, distracted by Piper's knife in his forehead and spewing ichor into his eyes. Percy, weaponless and weakened, was not stopped. The giant king ran for Piper. Percy grabbed the tip of Porphyrion's spear, shoving it down to the ground. The point sunk into the dirt and the giant's momentum swept him off his feet in an unplanned pole-vault, flipping him onto his back.

"And _that_," Percy kicked Porphyrion in the ear, "is for my sister, you _bastard_!"

Piper reached Annabeth's side, standing over her. Cold blue steam curled from her blade as she swept it back and forth, keeping the giants at bay.

"Who wants to be frozen next?" She challenged. "Who wants to go back to Tartarus?" The giants shuffled uneasily, casting anxious looks to Periboia's frozen body. Piper _intimidated_ them and why wouldn't she? Aphrodite was the most ancient Olympian, born of the sea and the blood of Ouranos. She was older than Poseidon, older than Athena. And Piper was _her daughter_.

And on top of that, she was a _McLean_. Her father had risen from nothing to being known all over the world. The McLeans didn't retreat. They were Cherokee, they knew how to endure suffering, they kept their pride and knew when to fight back. And, if it came to it, Piper was going to fight to her last breath.

Forty feet away, Percy was trying to wrestle a sword from Porphyrion's hair.

"Fools!" The giant backhanded Percy like a persistent fly. Percy flew into a column with a sickening _crunch_, Annabeth screamed his name. "These demigods _cannot_ kill us! They do not have the help of the gods!"

The giants closed in, a dozen spears aimed at Piper's chest. Annabeth struggled to her feet, Periboia's hunting knife in her hand. Her legs trembled with effort, hardly able to stand upright, let alone fight. But her expression said otherwise, glowering with hate and anguish. Blood spilled from her leg, bubbling when it hit the ground, turning from red to gold.

Percy tried to push himself up, arms shaking, dazed. Seeing his struggle, Piper waved her sword about.

"Come on then!" She yelled. "I'll destroy you all myself if I have to!"

A metallic smell filled the air. Her skin tingled. From above;

"You don't have to!" Piper looked up. Her heart could have floated out of her body. Atop the nearest colonnade stood Jason, his sword gleaming gold in the sun. Frank stood beside him, his bow ready. Hazel sat astride Arion. The horse reared and whinnied with challenge.

A deafening blast threw out a shockwave. A white-hot bolt arced from the sky, straight through Jason's body. He jumped at the giant king, wreathed in lightning. He hit the giant with such force, Porphyrion fell to his knees, slammed down by lightning and a golden gladius in his neck.

Frank fired a volley of arrows, pushing back the giants nearest to Percy. Percy took this breathing room and their back-up, finding his feet. He swayed, moving gingerly, but his expression matched Annabeth's- this was a fight he would _not_ back down from.

The Argo II ascended over the ruins. The ballistae and catapults fired in tandem, programmed with surgical precision. A wall of Greek fire surged upward all around the Parthenon, incinerating a large chunk of the smaller monsters in seconds.

"SURRENDER!" Leo's voice demanded over the loudspeaker. "YOU ARE SURROUNDED BY ONE SPANKING HOT WAR MACHINE AND SEVEN PISSED OFF DEMIGODS!" Enceladus whirled round, howling with rage.

"VALDEZ!"

"SUP, ENCHILADAS?" Leo replied, they could hear the grin in his voice. "NICE DAGGER IN YA FOREHEAD!" The giant finally wrenched Katoptris from his head.

"Monsters, destroy that ship!"

The remaining forces tried their best. A flock of gryphons were the first attack; Festus chargrilled them from the sky. Earthborn unleashed a tirade of rocks. Dozens of Archimedes sphere intercepted, blasting the boulders to dust.

"PUT SOME CLOTHES ON!" Buford ordered.

Hazel spurred Arion on. Arion hit the ground running from the forty-foot fall off the colonnade. They zipped from giant to giant, causing havoc and stinging pains with her spatha. Kekrops chose that moment to join the fight, backed up by his snake people. They emerged from green goo in the ground and the walls, armed gemini swarming behind their king.

"Kill the demigods!" Kekrops screamed. "Kill the tricksters!" Hazel turned her blade on the nearest tunnel. The ground shook violently and gooey membranes exploded as tunnels collapsed, plumes of dust absorbing the gemini. Kekrops looked to his army, coughing and swatting the dust away. He had six guys left. "SLITHER AWAY!" They turned to retreat. Frank's arrows had other things to say.

Periboia had thawed, making wild grabs at Annabeth. Despite her bad leg, Annabeth was holding her own, stabbing at the giantess with her own hunting knife. They played a deadly game of tag around the throne.

Percy was on his feet, Riptide in his hand. He was still dazed, his nose was bleeding, but he was taking on Thoon. The old giant had somehow reattached his hand and was now swinging his meat cleaver in furious arcs. Percy ducked around his attacks, stabbing at the giant's side, back, legs, just being a general nuisance.

Piper stood back-to-back with Jason, battling every giant who dared to come close.

Her elation at the change in tide was short-lived. Their surprise attack soon lost its surprise. The giants were regrouping. Frank ran out of arrows. He leaped into the fight, changing into a rhinoceros as he fell. He knocked giants down, bellowing angrily, but no matter how quick he was, they got back up quicker. Their wounds healed faster.

Annabeth yelped as Periboia caught up. Hazel was swept out of her saddle at sixty miles an hour. Jason summoned more lightning, but Porphyrion bounced it off the tip of his spear. The giants outnumbered them, outsized them. They could not be killed without a god. And they didn't seem to be tiring either. They herded the six demigods into a defensive ring. Earthborns launched another volley at the ship; Leo didn't react fast enough, losing several rows of oars. The ship shuddered, tilting dangerously into the sky.

Enceladus threw his spear. It sunk through the ship's hull. Spouts of fire screamed from the oar openings. A black, noxious cloud engulfed the deck. The Argo II began to sink.

"Leo!"

"No!"

Porphyrion laughed.

"You demigods have learned _nothing_. There are no gods at your side. We need only one more thing to make our victory complete." He smiled expectantly, his eyes on Percy. Piper followed his gaze. Percy's nose was bleeding. He was watching Porphyrion, confusion knitting his brow. Unaware of the trickle of blood spilling over his lips, sliding to his chin.

"Percy-" Piper began. A single drop of blood fell. It hit the ground between his feet and sizzled like water on a frying pan.

The Acropolis groaned and baulked. The Earth Mother was awake.


	24. Chapter 24

**To RandomFanAuthor- the Big Three thing, I didn't even think, I'm just so used to calling them Big Three! :P The portals scene in Endgame gets me every time- the return of everyone, the score... like, I saw a midnight release of Endgame, about three hundred people in that screening, I've never experienced anything like it, we were all yelling and laughing and crying and cheering, it was amazing! And keep calculating- I may have just split chapters to draw out suffering, who knows? O:) **

**To JasonGraceIsDead- (Chapter 21) You hope _Leo_ stays dead? My dude, that's harsh! D: **

**To HoO Fan- (Chapter 21) The bundt cake was in the original, but I think Percy was more like 'they've got dessert, let them aboard', but obviously with his sister just having tragically and brutally died through no fault of my own, I don't think cake is on his mind. I read back over Chapter 17 about this Leo dying instead of Lou dying, but I can't see anything that said 'Leo died' or whatever, not sure now :P I was re-reading the earlier rewrites, I thought I'd cleared most of the typos out, there's still some there! I'm not tired or anything, no no no! ^_^ And I don't think I've done the highschool AU stuff, unless they're my OCs and that's where they meet, but the highschool isn't the main focus of the thing, you know? And yes, five siblings, I did not plan on it, I don't like two of them and the other three are tolerable in SMALL doses. Sod the other two, but if anyone picks on those three, they're dead. That's my job and my job alone! I am the second eldest, but oldest at home as older sister has moved out. Aaaaaand Parenthood... _may_ go on the rewrite because there was a _minor_ (totally not minor) deviation to the original plan. I'd say I'll tell you what was going to happen buuuuuut that's spoilers so... yeah, no! Plus it doesn't add up with these rewrites and the whole LouXReyna thing aaand my future idea that's... interesting. I think. We shall see. **

* * *

Everything was chaos within the legion ranks, but the officers were dredging up some semblance of control. The Fourth and Fifth cohorts regrouped while the Second and Third acted as a line of riot shields, pushing centaurs, cynocephali and two-headed men back into their respective camps. The First Cohort stood closest to the onager. They were pre-occupied by a pair of officers shouting orders in front of them, but they were _too_ close to the weapon for Nico's liking.

One of the guards spotted them from twenty yards.

"There!" He yelled.

"Oh, Poseidon's pants," Lou Ellen grumbled, "they're _expecting_ an attack now. The Mist doesn't work as well against alert enemies. Do we run?"

"No." Nico said. "Let's give them what they expect." He spread his hands. The ground erupted before the Romans. Five skeletons yanked their way to the surface. Cecil and Lou Ellen ran to their aid. Nico tried to follow. He would have face-planted if Will hadn't caught him.

"Idiot." Will chided. "I'm _definitely_ telling Lou now- I told you, _no more Underworld magic_."

"I'm fine."

"No you're not, shut up." Will dug a pack of gum from his pocket. Nico tried to pull away, hating the physical contact. Two people got away with that- his sister and Louisa, the latter of which he had no choice- there was no escaping her bear hugs.

Will, however, was stronger than he looked. Nico found himself leaning on him, relying on his support (not that he would admit that out loud). "Take this." Will said, holding out a strip of gum. At Nico's questioning look, he sighed. "It's medicinal. It _should_ keep you alive and alert for a few more hours, _as long as you don't do anymore Underworld magic._" Will glared at him pointedly. Nico grumbled, shoving the gum in his mouth.

"Tastes like tar and mud."

"Stop complaining."

"Hey." Cecil limped over, wincing at a pulled muscle. "You guys kind of missed the fight." Lou Ellen popped up behind him, grinning. The Roman guards were entangled in a strange combination of ropes and bones.

"Thanks for the skeletons," she said, "great trick."

"Which he _won't_ be doing again." Will warned. Nico opened his mouth to retort, realised he was still leaning on him. He hurriedly pushed Will away, stumbling before finding his feet.

"I'll do what I need to." He said. Will tutted, rolling his eyes.

"Fine, Death Boy, if you _really_ want to get yourself killed-"

"Do _not_ call me _Death Boy_!"

"Um, guys-"

"DROP YOUR WEAPONS"

Nico looked round, fingers itching to throttle Will Solace and his stupid doctor's orders. The fight at the third onager had not gone undetected. The entire First Cohort stood against them, shields locked and spears at the ready. Octavian marched in front of them, purple robes over his armour. Imperial gold jewellery adorned his arms and neck and a crown of laurels rested atop his head, as if he had already won. Next to him, was the legion's standard bearer, Jacob. Six huge cynocephali amassed around them, their canine teeth bared as they snarled, swords glowing a harsh red.

"Hi." Nico said.

"Graceus saboteurs." Octavian snarled almost as much as the dog-people. He looked to the canine warriors, waving a dismissive hand at the Greeks. "Tear them apart."

Nico had two seconds to debate with himself if he should kick himself or Will Solace. If he hadn't been so distracted by Will bickering with him, he would not have allowed the Romans to get so close. Now, six dog-headed men were running at them, practically foaming at the mouth. Nico readied his sword, but he hardly had the strength to swing it.

Then Will did something that put a mark in his favour of Nico's debate- he gave a piercing, taxicab whistle, and all six dog-men fell down in agony, weapons lay forgotten where dropped, smothering their ears and whimpering.

"Dude," Cecil complained, opening his mouth to pop his ears, "what the actual Hades? A little warning next time."

"My bad," Will smiled, "just be grateful you're not a dog." He looked at Nico, shrugging. "It's one of my few musical talents. I do a _really awful_ ultrasonic whistle." Nico tried not to look too impressed- didn't want to give Will Solace any bright ideas- walking through the downed dog-men. With his sword, he reduced them to pools of shadows.

Octavian and the First Cohort were too stunned to move.

"My- my elite guard!" Octavian stammered. He frantically looked around, expecting sympathy and scowling when none came his way. "Did you _see_ what they did to _my elite guard_?"

"You can join them if you care so much." Nico offered, stepping toward him. For one, glorious moment, the entire First Cohort faltered.

Then they remembered themselves, levelling their pila.

"You will be destroyed!" Octavian shrieked. "You Greek scum, sneaking around, sabotaging our weapons, attacking our men-"

"_Oooohhhh_, you mean the weapons you were going to _fire at us_?" Cecil tapped his forehead as if to say _gods I'm such an idiot_.

"And you mean the men that were about to burn our camp down?" Lou Ellen continued in the same tone. "Oh my, we do apologise for any inconvenience we've caused." Octavian scowled at them. He whipped round, pointing at the nearest legionnaires.

"You, you, you and you! Go and check all the onagers! Make sure they're operational! I want them fired as one as soon as possible!" They hesitated. Octavian turned puce with rage. "_GO!" _He screamed. They scrambled to right themselves and ran.

Nico hoped Cecil was as good as he said he was. It was one thing to screw up a huge weapon, but another thing altogether to do so in a way no one would notice until it was too late. If _anyone_ had that skill, it would be a child of Hermes, the god of trickery.

Octavian marched straight up to Nico, still simmering with fury. The augur was unafraid, his only weapon a dagger. He stopped close enough to Nico for him to see the bloodshot veins in his pale, watery eyes. His face gaunt face and overcooked-spaghetti hair were _far_ too close for Nico's liking, but he forced himself to keep the minimal space between them.

Nico knew Octavian was a legacy, a very distant descendant of Apollo. To Nico, he just looked like a very watered-down, unhealthy and pale version of Will Solace. Whatever spark the children of Apollo had, Octavian didn't have it.

Octavian sneered. "Tell me, son of Pluto, why are you helping the Greeks? What have _they_ ever done for you?" Nico could just stab him in the chest, have this all done with. He might have succeeded in taking him down in that command tent, had Will not caught him off guard, and now here he was, face-to-face with Octavian. And his arms would not obey him. He could kill Octavian before the First Cohort could react. He didn't particularly care if he died for his actions, but where did that leave Cecil, Lou Ellen and Will?

And there was Bryce Lawrence- how could Nico cut down another demigod, even Octavian? No wonder his arms would not do as he said.

"I'm helping the Greeks _and_ the Romans." Nico replied evenly. Octavian laughed.

"What have they offered you? A place in their camp? They won't honour their agreement."

"I don't _want_ a place in their camp." Nico growled. "Or yours for that matter. When this war is over, I'm leaving both camps for good." Behind him, Will made a sound like he had been punched.

"Why would you do that?"

"It's none of your business, but I don't belong. That's obvious. No-one wants me, I'm a child of-"

"Oh, please." Will scoffed, sounding uncharacteristically angry. "_Nobody_ at Camp Half-Blood pushed you away, _ever_. You _have_ friends here, or at least people who _want_ to be your friends. You pushed yourself away. If you'd get your head out your ass-"

"Enough!" Octavian snapped. "You," he jabbed a finger in Nico's face, "I can beat any offer the Greeks could make. I always thought you would make a powerful ally. I see the ruthlessness in you, and I appreciate that. I can assure you a place in New Rome. All you have to do is step aside and allow the Romans to win."

"Damn, no wonder Lou doesn't like you." Nico shook his head. Octavian coloured furiously.

"_She_ was a bad omen-"

"Questionable omen," Nico corrected, "she was questionable."

"The god Apollo has shown me the future-"

"Oh, _please_." Will shoved Nico out of the way, squaring up to Octavian. "_I_ am the son of Apollo, you anaemic bastard. My father hasn't shown _anyone_ the future, because the power of prophecy isn't working. But this," he waved vaguely at the assembled legion, "this is _not_ what Apollo would want!"

"You lie." Octavian's lip curled. "The god told me _personally_ I would be remembered as the saviour of Rome. I will lead the legion to victory and I will start by-" They felt the sound before they heard it- _thunk-thunk-thunk_. It echoed through the ground, as if massive gears were turning somewhere in the hills. All the onagers fired at once and six golden comets scorched into the sky.

Octavian laughed triumphantly. "By destroying the Greeks!" He finished with glee. "The days of Camp Half-Blood are over!"

Nothing was more beautiful than an off-course projectile. From the three sabotaged machines, the missiles swerved towards the assault from the other three onagers. The fireballs didn't collide, but they didn't need to. As soon as they were in range of each other, all six detonated in mid-air. An eye-searing dome of gold and fire wrenched the oxygen from the air, the heat stung Nico's face. The grass sizzled, treetops steamed. The light show gradually faded, no serious damage done.

Octavian stared, dumbfounded, at the eruption, blinking stupidly. For a moment, Nico wondered if his brain had completely shut down under the pretty lights, but then his face coloured again. He stomped his feet, shrieking in outrage.

Nico looked to Will, quirking a brow.

"You're related to that." He smirked.

"Ugh, don't remind me." Will groaned, pulling at his face.

"RELOAD!" Octavian screamed. "RELOAD, RELOAD, RELOAD!" The First Cohort didn't move. They were watching something to Nico's right. He turned. The Fifth Cohort marched towards them, Dakota leading them at double-time. Further down the hill, the rest of the legion were battling to form up in a sea of fuming monsters. No doubt the auxilia forces had been waiting on an extra crispy, all-you-can-eat demigod buffet.

"Octavian!" Dakota called. "We have new orders!"

"_Orders_?" Octavian hissed, his eye twitching. "From whom?"

"From Reyna!" Dakota grinned, his voice carrying across the First Cohort. "She's ordered us to stand down!"

"_Reyna_?" Octavian laughed. "You mean the _outlaw_ I sent _you_ to _arrest_? The _ex-praetor_ who has betrayed her _own people_ to help this g_raecus_?" He jabbed Nico in the chest. "You're taking orders from _her_?" The Fifth formed up behind their centurion, although they didn't look happy about facing their comrades in the First. Dakota folded his arms, tipping his chin up defiantly.

"Reyna is praetor until otherwise voted by the Senate."

"This is _war_!" Octavian screamed. "I've brought you to the brink of ultimate victory and you want to _give up_?" He whirled round. "First Cohort! Arrest Centurion Dakota and any who stand with him!" He whirled round again, so quickly, Nico was surprised his head didn't come off. "Fifth Cohort! Remember your vows to Rome and the legion! _You will obey me_!"

Will stepped forward, shaking his head.

"Don't force your people to choose, Octavian. This is your last chance."

"_My_ last chance?" Octavian grinned, eyes brimming with madness. "I _will_ save Rome! _You_ can't stop me!" He glared over his shoulder. "Romans! Follow my orders! Arrest Dakota, _destroy_ the graecus scum! Reload those onagers!"

The Romans didn't get a chance to act, whatever their decision would have been. They had forgotten about the Greeks.

The entire army of Camp Half-Blood appeared on the crest of Half-Blood Hill. Clarisse rode on a bloody red war chariot pulled by metal horses, leading from the front. A hundred demigods fanned out around her, their numbers bolstered by twice as many nature spirits and satyrs, led by Grover. Tyson lumbered forward with half a dozen Cyclopes. Chiron stood in full centaur mode, his bow drawn and ready.

"Dammit." Nico sighed.

"Romans!" Clarisse yelled. "You have fired on _our_ camp! Withdraw or be destroyed!"

"Legion!" Octavian screeched. "Cuneum formate! CHARGE!"

"No!" Nico shouted, but what could he do? After weeks of waiting, agonising and sitting with boiling tempers, the Greeks and Romans were out for blood.

Will stuck his fingers in his mouth, blowing one of his supersonic whistles even more painful than the last. Several Greeks dropped their weapons to cover their ears in pain. The First Cohort shuddered, taking steps away from him.

"DON'T BE STUPID!" Will scolded. "LOOK!" He pointed north. Nico beamed.

There _was_ something more beautiful than an off-course projectile: the Athena Parthenos, flying in from the coast, suspended on tethers to six winged horses. Roman eagles circled over them, but did not attack. Some even picked up cables to help carry the statue. Nico couldn't see Blackjack, which was concerning, but Reyna rode in on Storm with her sword held high. Her purple cloak glittered and caught the sunlight in a way he couldn't explain.

Both armies stared in awe as the forty-foot statue was lowered, the gold and ivory stunning in the early morning sun.

"GREEK DEMIGODS!" Reyna's voice swept over the hills, as if amplified by her delivery, "I return your most sacred statue, the Athena Parthenos, wrongly taken by the Romans! I return it as a gesture of peace!" The statue was set down atop the hill, about twenty feet from Thalia's tree. Gold light rippled across the ground, flooding into Camp Half-Blood and down the opposite side through the Romans. Warmth filled Nico right to his bones, bringing with it a warmth and comfort he couldn't recall last feeling. "Romans!" Reyna called. "I do this for the good of the legion, for the good of Rome! We must stand together with our Greek brethren!" Nico marched forward.

"Listen to her!" He instructed. Why he felt the need to speak up, he didn't know. Why would either side listen to him? He wasn't exactly the best speaker or ambassador, but he walked between the battle lines with his sword in his hand, determined to do _something_. "Reyna risked her life for all of you! We brought this statue halfway across the world, Roman _and_ Greek working together, because we _must_ join forces! Gaia is rising! If we don't work together-"

_YOU WILL DIE. _

The voice shook the ground. Nico's sense of peace and security vanished. Wind blustered the hillside, the earth became sticky and almost liquid, the grass coiling around Nico's boots. _A FUTILE GESTURE. BUT, IF IT MAKES YOU HAPPY, YOU MAY DIE TOGETHER._

"No…" Octavian staggered back. "No, no…" He turned on his heel and ran, shoving through his own troops.

"CLOSE RANKS!" Reyna ordered. The Greeks and Romans moved together, standing shoulder to shoulder as if they had never been two. The earth shook all around them. The auxilia forces lunged towards the demigods; even with the two sides finally combined, they were still a tiny blip in an ocean of monsters. Their final stand would be made on Half-Blood Hill, with the Athena Parthenos their rallying point.

But what could they do? They stood on enemy ground because the ground _was_ the enemy. Gaia was awake.


	25. Chapter 25

**To RandomFanAuthor- Endgame crushed me, but I've never felt so much part of a group than that, like even now, just thinking about it, it's just fulfilling. I'm not sure that's quite the word I'm looking for, but it's just such a fantastic memory, I wish I could do it all over again. And of course! Solangelo fuck things up in a dead classy way! Who's Falling For You by, I'll try and find it! Calculations are effort anyway, but I love the long reviews!**

* * *

If Louisa had been there, Jason would have put good money on her snarking her brother for his end-of-the-world-nosebleed. His brain offered him something akin to '_What the fuck, bro, ya had one fuckin' job, how have ya survived this long without me_?' She probably would have said worse, but he didn't have time to think of worse because the sky exploded. He tapped the side of his glasses, wondering if his new prescription wasn't making him hallucinate. But no. This was happening.

The clouds parted over the Acropolis, rumbling with thunder and flashing with lightning. They created a ring, revealing not blue skies, but a black, star-strewn space with the palaces of Mount Olympus gleaming silver and gold in the background.

But that wasn't the best part.

An army of gods charged down from on high, making it _all_ far too much to process.

Supersized Jupiter- no, _Zeus_\- swooped into battle in a golden chariot, wielding a lightning bolt the size of a telephone pole. His chariot was pulled by four wind horses, their features constantly shifting between equine and human, struggling against the restraints. For a split second, Jason saw their true nature- Zeus had harnessed the four wind gods themselves to his will.

The Argo II's bay doors sprung open. Nike tumbled out, shedding her golden netting. Her wings glittered as she soared to Zeus's side, taking her rightful place as his charioteer.

"VICTORY TO THE GODS!" She cheered.

Hera rode on Zeus's left, her chariot pulled by massive peacocks, their rainbow plumage making Jason's head spin. Ares bellowed delightedly as he thundered down on a fire-breathing horse, his spear shining crimson. Jason turned to try and take in the other gods, but then they seemed to displace themselves. The chariots disappeared. Jason could hardly blink before the gods reappeared, human-sized and standing with the demigods, minuscule compared to the giants, but radiating power.

Percy glowered at his father.

"They killed Lou." He growled.

"And we will avenge that." Poseidon nodded grimly, readying his trident. The god's eyes fixed on Jason, the slightest incline of his head bolstering Jason's nerves.

Jason yelled and charged Porphyrion, his friends just behind him.

The battle screamed all over the Parthenon, spilling across the Acropolis. In his peripheral, Jason saw Annabeth fighting alongside a dark-haired woman in golden armour and white robes. The goddess thrust her spear at Enceladus, brandishing her shield emblazoned with Medusa's likeness. Mother and daughter drove the giant back into the nearest wall of metal scaffolding. He disappeared under it, the cacophony drowned in the rest of the carnage.

Frank Zhang and Ares were on the opposite side of the temple, smashing their way through an entire phalanx of giants. Ares stabbed with his spear and hit with his shield, cackling gleeful. Elephant-Frank barrelled his way through with his trunk and feet, morphing into a dragon, a lion, a bear between heartbeats.

Hazel and Arion raced through the battle. The Mist engulfed them whenever a giant came close, dispensing them behind the enemy and stabbing them in the back. Hecate danced in her wake, setting fire to their foe with her two blazing torches. Jason could not see Hades, but his influence was there; the ground broke open, swallowing flaming and non-flaming, Hazel-stabbed giants alike.

"FUCK YOU, GAIA!" He heard Hazel scream, a wicked grin on her lips.

Percy and Poseidon fought the giant twins, Otis and Ephialtes. A storm brewed, swirling in a hurricane around them, Percy crackled with sea green energy. He fought without Riptide, blasting the giants with his power, blasting them with water drawn from unseen sources. Poseidon darted in around his attacks, stabbing and smacking with his trident. Otis and Ephialtes stumbled and Poseidon levelled his trident at them. His lips moved, thunder shook the ruins, green light snapping around the prongs of his weapon. Percy threw his hands out and the giants were ripped to shreds in a blinding flash of sea green.

Piper was the most impressive, fencing the giantess Periboia, sword against sword. Piper was holding her own, despite the princess being five times her size. Aphrodite was encased in a rosy pink, almost blinding glow, grinning. She shone in golden armour, not a hair out of place, her power billowing her robes hypnotically. She lunged, throwing out her hands. Periboia screamed as the rosy glow expanded into snapping tendrils. Piper darted in, stabbing at Periboia's gut again.

"That's it, Piper!" Aphrodite shouted proudly, close enough for Jason to hear. She twisted her hand and the tendrils coiled around Periboia's legs. "Let's finish this, my daughter!" Doves soared from nowhere, clawing and pecking at the giantess's face. "You under-estimated us for the last time!"

Leo was sprinting across the deck of the Argo II, firing ballistae, lobbing hammers at giants' heads and blowtorching loincloths. At the helm, a burly bearded guy in a mechanic's uniform was fussing with the controls, battling to keep the ship aloft. Leo blasted a rather daring giant with a wave of white flames. He threw a mallet straight through the fire, smashing the giant in the nose. He pointed and shouted, made a few hand gestures Louisa would have been proud of, and then repeated the whole thing.

Jason noticed all of this, and dozens of other fights, but the majority of his attention was on the enemy before him- Porphyrion. Fighting at his side, was the king of the gods, his father, Zeus. Porphyrion didn't give Jason much chance to savour the moment, utilising his spear in a tornado of swipes, jabs and slashes. It was all Jason could do to stay alive. **(BUT YOU DIDN'T, DID YOU?) **

Zeus's presence was… familiar, reassuringly so. Jason had never met his father, but having the god at his side pulled up all his fondest memories- his birthday picnic with Piper; the day Lupa showed him to Camp Jupiter; his games of hide-and-seek with Thalia in their apartment when he was small; an afternoon on the beach when his mother had picked him up and kissed him, showing him an oncoming thunderstorm- _Never be afraid of a thunderstorm, Jason. That is your father, letting you know he loves you. _

He didn't think of his father when he saw a storm, not at first. He thought of a crass, brazen temperamental young woman who had taught him to relax and lighten up, who had broken his nose in teaching him to defend himself (and then healed it) and took delight in trying to drive him mad, who had spent _years_ making his life at Camp Jupiter far more 'interesting' than it should have been, surprising him with how many times and how many ways one rule could be broken. Percy and Poseidon weren't the only ones fighting to avenge Louisa.

He stabbed at the giant king, lightning rippling over his body and blade. Zeus attacked with a javelin of lightning, the air around him burning with energy. He slashed across the giant's path, toppling Porphyrion into his makeshift throne. The seat crumbled under his weight.

"No throne for you." Zeus growled. "Not here. Not _ever_."

"You _cannot_ stop us!" Porphyrion yelled. "It is _done_! The Earth Mother is awake!" Zeus scowled, blasting the throne to rubble. The giant king soared backwards, out of the temple, and Jason flew after him, his father close behind.

They pushed Porphyrion to the edge of the cliffs, the whole of modern Athens below. Lightning had reduced all the weapons in the giant's heat to molten goop, liquid Celestial bronze dripped onto his skin, steaming and blistering it. Porphyrion snarled, raising his spear. "Your cause is lost, Zeus. Even if you defeat me, the Earth Mother shall simply raise me again!"

"Mmph. Jason, what is it your friend would have said?"

"Shut the _fuck up_!"

"Yes, I think that works." Zeus nodded, looking back at the giant. "You will not die in Gaia's embrace. My son, if you will." Jason grinned- he had never felt so good, so _recognised_. He advanced. Porphyrion slashed wildly with his spear. Jason cut it in half with his gladius, closing the gap in a single bound, jabbing his sword through the giant's breastplate. He summoned the winds and blasted Porphyrion from the cliff.

The king of the giants fell, screaming. The king of the gods pointed his lightning bolt at him. An arc of pure white heat vaporised Porphyrion mid-air. His ashes drifted down in a gentle cloud, dusting treetops on the slopes of the Acropolis.

Zeus turned to Jason. His lightning flickered off, leaving a Celestial bronze rod that he clipped to his belt. His eyes were stormy grey, his hair salt-and-pepper, his beard like stratus clouds. Jason noticed he was only a few inches taller than him in this form. Zeus clasped his shoulder. "My son… there is so much I would like to tell you…" Zeus inhaled deeply, making the air crackle and Jason's glasses fog up. "Alas, as king of the gods, I must not show favouritism to my children. When we return to the other Olympians, I will not be able to praise you as much as I would like, or give you as much credit as you deserve."

"I don't want your praise." Jason heard a tremble in his voice. "Just a little time together would be nice. I mean… I don't even know you." Zeus's gaze became distant and he sighed.

"I am always with you, Jason. I have watched you progress, I am so proud, but it will never be possible for us to be…" He trailed off, trying to find the right word. _Close_, Jason thought for him, _normal. A true father and son_.

Zeus nodded, as if hearing his thoughts. "From birth, you were destined to be Hera's. To appease her wrath. Even your name was her choice. You did not ask for this. I did not want this. But when I gave you over to her… I had no idea what a good man you would become. Your journey has shaped you, made you both kind and great." Zeus hesitated. "I am… sorry about your friend. My niece, by all accounts, is… was perhaps the most annoying demigod I have ever had the displeasure to meet, but she was under Poseidon's protection." Lightning crackled on the rod at his belt and he lay a hand over it. Jason looked from it to him, not sure if he should laugh or cry.

"You want… wanted to blast Lou?"

"Oh, many times." Zeus nodded. "But she is… was a noble warrior and a force of nature worthy of her father. Although…" His brow furrowed. "She was rather confusing."

"I think she'd take pride in that." Jason smiled weakly. Zeus squeezed his shoulder, looking back to the rest of the battle.

"Whatever happens when we return to the Parthenon," he said, "know that I do _not_ hold you accountable. You have proven yourself a true hero." He looked back at Jason.

"What… what do you mean, _whatever happens_?"

"The worst is not over," Zeus warned, "and someone must take the blame for what has happened. Come."


	26. Chapter 26

**To JasonGraceIsDead- (Chapter 23) oh yeah, she's dead. Don't abandon the story though! D: (Chapter 24) dun dun duuuuhhhhhh**

**To RandomFanAuthor- I will have a look! Thank you! AND YES SHE DID, I THOROUGHLY ENJOYED THAT! And _extremely_ grudgingly, he does not like being called Lord Sparky one little bit! And thank you! I've had so much fun writing these rewrites! ^_^ **

**To HoO Fan- see above, oh yeah, she's dead. Like, super dead, blown to pieces buried in a tree dead. SUCH FUN! And you've just reminded me- I _did_ have a truth or dare/spin the bottle one I did AGES ago, but it's all on my old memory stick which has been missing for over a year and a half now D: I remember bits of it, I'll see if I can rewrite that if you want! It haaaaad Leoisa, Reyisa, Solangelo and then all the others as well. I think it was the first one I did where Lou was bi, can't really remember now! :P I am currently working on the ToA rewrite (may undead Jason, I am not ever OK after Burning Maze, NOT EVER OK!) But it might take me a little longer because there's like three other things I need to work on as well (I think someone asked for a Magnus Chase rewrite too? May add those into one-shots) And Leo would definitely try to kick his ass, I'm imagining human fireball at face.**

* * *

The battle was over. The giants were nothing more than heaps of ash, a few broken spears and some burning dreadlocks. The Argo II was still in the sky, just about, moored to the top of the Parthenon. Smoke billowed from several yawning cracks in the hull, the oars were just a no-go, the sails were peppered with burning holes. Leo looked almost as bad, his face covered in soot and his clothes smouldering. Flames crackled in his hair as he stood with the others in the middle of the temple.

The gods fanned out in a semi-circle as Zeus approached. None of them seemed overly happy with their win. Apollo and Artemis stood to one side, trying to hide in the shadow of a column. Hera and Poseidon were debating something with a goddess in green and gold robes. Nike was trying to put a golden laurel on Hecate's head, but was getting swatted at. Hermes tried sneaking his arm around Athena's shoulders, but one look from her aegis shield sent him on his way. The only Olympian revelling in this victory was Ares, laughing and re-enacting gutting an enemy while Frank- who had been fighting beside him and didn't need the re-enactment- politely smiled, looking queasy.

"Brethren," Zeus said, "we are healed, thanks to the work of these demigods. The Athena Parthenos, which once stood in this temple, now stands at Camp Half-Blood." Relief washed through the demigods and they exchanged tentatively hopeful smiles. "It has united our offspring and, thus, our own essences."

"Lord Zeus," Piper said, bowing, "is Reyna OK? Nico and Coach Hedge?"

"They succeeded in their mission." Zeus frowned. "As of this moment, they are alive. Whether or not they are _OK-_"

"There is still work to be done." Hera butted in. She spread her arms, as if inviting them for a group hug. "But my heroes, you have triumphed over the giants as I knew you would. My plan worked beautifully." Zeus rounded on her, thunder shaking the Acropolis.

"Do not _dare_ take credit!" He raged. "You have caused _at least_ as many problems as you've fixed!"

"Husband, surely you see now- this was the only way."

"There is never only _one_ way!" Zeus bellowed. "That is why there are _three_ Fates, not _one_! Is this not so?" By the ruins of Porphyrion's throne, the three old ladies silently bowed in recognition. Jason saw the others gods were giving them a wide berth.

"Please, husband," Hera tried for a smile, pale, her eyes betraying a fright so intense, Jason almost felt sorry for her, "I only did what I-"

"Silence!" Zeus snapped. "You disobeyed my orders! Nevertheless…" He huffed. "I recognise that you acted with honest intentions. The valour of these seven heroes has proven that you were not entirely without wisdom."

"Eight." Percy frowned.

"Excuse me?" Zeus raised a brow at him. Poseidon rested a hand on his son's shoulder, watching his brother carefully.

"Eight." Percy repeated, clenching his trembling hands into fists. His eyes flashed dangerously as he glared at Zeus. "My _sister_ made _eight_." Jason bit the inside of his cheek. Zeus couldn't be as apologetic about Louisa as he had been to Jason. He wanted to warn Percy- Zeus would not be as free with his thoughts in front of the other gods- but Percy only had eyes for the king of the gods. "_Louisa_," he stressed when Zeus still said nothing, "she… she's _dead_, but that _doesn't_ erase what she did for you!"

"Percy-" Annabeth said, glancing at Zeus hesitantly.

"Son," Poseidon's grip tightened on his shoulder, "_no-one_ is erasing Louisa's efforts," he shot his brother a reproachful look, "we know what she did."

"Then _eight_." Percy continued to glare at Zeus, defiance nearly outweighing grief.

"Fine." Zeus eventually decided. "The valour of these _eight_ heroes," he cast Percy a look no-one could decipher, "has proven that you were not entirely without wisdom, Hera." Hera stayed quiet, clasping her hands. Zeus turned. "Apollo, however…" The godly twins were still hiding in the column's shadow. "My son, come here." He ordered briskly. Apollo inched forward. He bore an uncanny resemblance to a teenage demigod, so much so, it was unnerving. He wore jeans and a Camp Half-Blood T-shirt, a bow over his shoulder and a sword at his belt. With his tousled blond hair and blue eyes, he could have easily passed for Jason's brother on the mortal side as well as godly. He approached Zeus as slowly as he could, the fear on his face very, worryingly human.

Zeus towered over him. "Twice you have defied me." He growled.

"My- my lord-"

"You neglected your duties. You succumbed to flattery and vanity. You encouraged your descendent, Octavian, to follow his dangerous path and you prematurely revealed a prophecy that may _yet_ destroy us all."

"But-"

"Enough!" Zeus boomed. "We will speak of your punishment later. For now, you will wait on Olympus." Zeus flicked his hand and Apollo dissolved into a cloud of golden glitter.

"What will happen to him?" Jason asked. The gods turned as one to stare at him, but Jason hardly noticed.

"It is not your concern," Zeus said tightly, "we have other problems to address." An uncomfortable silence weighed on them all. Jason bunched his fists. It didn't feel right, why did Apollo deserve to be singled out for punishment? Hera had started this all, swapping him and Percy and wiping their memories.

"Father," Jason said, "I made a vow to honour all the gods. I promised Kymopoleia that once this war is over, none of the gods would be without shrines at the camps."

"That's fine," Zeus said curtly, "but… Kym who?" Poseidon, one hand still on Percy's shoulder, coughed into his fist.

"She's one of mine."

"My point," Jason pressed on, "is that blaming each other isn't going to solve anything. That's how the Romans and the Greeks got divided in the first place." The air became dangerously rich with energy, lightning snapping over Zeus's arms and in his beard. Jason figured he was going to be turned into glitter too, or blasted off the Acropolis. He had made a good impression on his father and was now throwing that away. A good Roman would know when to shut up.

Jason didn't shut up. "Apollo wasn't the problem. To punish him for Gaia waking would be… unwise." He settled with, thinking 'stupid' would be his last word.

"Unwise." Zeus repeated, his voice barely above a whisper. "Before the assembled gods, you would call me _unwise_." Jason sensed his friends on full alert, he could see Percy raring to go in the corner of his eye. Poseidon still held his shoulder, probably the only restraint right now.

Artemis stepped from the shadows.

"Father," she said softly, "this hero has fought long and hard for our cause. His nerves are frayed and he grieves. We should take that into account." Jason began to protest, but Artemis cut him a warning look. _Thank you, _she seemed to say_, but do not press this. I will reason with Zeus when he is calmer_. "Surely, Father," she continued, "we should attend to our more pressing matters, as you pointed out."

"Gaia." Annabeth chimed in, quickly changing the subject. "She's awake, isn't she?" Zeus looked at her. The air around Jason stopped humming.

"That is correct. The blood of Olympus has been spilled. She is fully conscious." Percy grunted.

"Stupid nosebleed." He muttered, belatedly wiping his nose on the back of his hand.

"You must move quickly," Athena said, shouldering her shield, "Gaia rises to destroy your camp."

"Why would Gaia be back at camp?" Leo asked. "Percy's nosebleed was here."

"Dude, let it go." Percy frowned. "And Gaia's the _earth_. She can pop up anywhere she wants. Besides, she _told_ us she was going to do this. She said the first thing on her list was destroying our camp." He looked around at the gods. "How do we stop her?"

"Um, sir?" Frank piped up, looking at Zeus nervously. "Your Majesty, can't you gods just… bounce over there with us? You've got the chariots and the magic powers and whatnot."

"Yes!" Hazel said. "We defeated the giants together, like that!" She snapped her fingers. "Let's all go-"

"No." Zeus said flatly.

"No?" Jason repeated. "But, Father-" Zeus's eyes glowed with power and Jason decided to keep his mouth shut around him for the next few centuries.

"That's the problem with prophecies." Zeus grumbled. "When Apollo allowed the Prophecy of Seven to be spoken and when Hera took it upon herself to interpret the words, the Fates wove the future in such a way that it had only so many possible outcomes, so many solutions. You seven are destined to defeat Gaia. We, the gods, _cannot_." Percy was frowning at him again and he sighed. "There are seven of you now, you can't-"

"Brother!" Poseidon frowned.

"How many of those outcomes did Lou die?" Percy demanded. Zeus regarded him coolly. The Fates stared across at Percy. He stared right back at them, brow furrowing. "Was it _necessary_?" He demanded. "Was it just another _sacrifice_ in the gods' name?"

"Perseus," Poseidon warned, "watch your tongue." Percy shrugged him off, still glaring at the Fates. Poseidon sighed. "My son-"

"Don't." Percy cut across. He shook his head, trembling with anger, close to tears. "You only talked to her when you needed something done." Poseidon's grip tightened on his trident, forcibly biting back his temper. "She deserved _better_." Percy spat, still glaring at the Fates.

"Gaia killed your sister." Athena said. "Your anger is placed with her, not us." Percy opened his mouth. Piper started, quickly interrupting before he was blasted into nothingness.

"I have a question," she said, trying for a smile when they all looked at her, "um… going back to you all coming with us, what's… what's the point of being gods if you have to rely on puny mortals to do your bidding?" Percy flipped his father an accusatory look. The other gods exchanged dark looks, except for Aphrodite, who laughed and kissed Piper's cheek.

"My dear Piper," she smiled, "don't you think we've been asking _ourselves_ that question for thousands of years?" She shook her head. "But it is what binds us together, keeps us eternal. We need you mortals as much as you need us. Annoying as that may be, it is the truth." She looked to Percy, her expression softening. "Louisa served us for many years. I remember her as a small child, a fiery little demigod I _will_ remember for a long time. It has been quite some time since a demigod daughter of Poseidon; they are…" She raised a brow at Poseidon.

"Headcases." Leo suggested when Poseidon simply shrugged. The soot on Leo's face was streaked, his eyes red. He sniffed, managing a weak smile.

"Not _quite_ the word I was looking for," Aphrodite smiled, "but something like that." She looked back to Percy. "I understand you feel she was killed senselessly, but in Gaia's eyes-"

"She was an obstacle, I know." Percy growled. Aphrodite looked like she wanted to say more, but Frank coughed, raising his hand awkwardly.

"I'm sorry to… to interrupt, but how are we going to get to Long Island? It took us _months_ to reach Greece."

"The winds," Jason said, "Father, could you unleash the winds to send our ship back?"

"I could slap you back to Long Island."

"Um, was that a joke, or a threat, or-?"

"No," Zeus said, "I mean it quite literally- I could _slap_ your ship back to Camp Half-Blood, but the force involved…" Over by the ruined throne, the grease-covered god in overalls shook his head.

"My boy Leo built a damn good ship, but it won't sustain that kind of stress. It would break apart as soon as it arrived, maybe sooner." Leo straightened his toolbelt, trying not to look too pleased at his father's compliment.

"The Argo II can make it. It only has to stay in one piece long enough to get us back home. Once there, we can abandon ship."

"Dangerous," warned Hephaestus, "perhaps fatal."

"We've dealt with worse." Leo reminded him. Nike twirled a laurel wreath on her finger.

"Victory is always dangerous." She said. "And often requires sacrifice." Percy fumed at her, Poseidon clamped a hand over his mouth. "Leo Valdez and I have discussed this." She stared at Leo knowingly. A chill crossed Jason's skin. He knew the risks it would take to defeat Gaia, but _he_ wanted to take those risks, not put them on Leo.

"Leo," Annabeth frowned, "what is Nike talking about?"

"We can do this guys." Leo said, evading the question. "We _have_ to do this. Lou would _kill_ us if we didn't. Like, 'make ya'll eat ya own fuckin' organs' kill us, or something." Sad bemusement passed through the crew. Percy shook his father off again, but was subdued, jaw set, blinking back tears.

"Leo's right," Jason nodded, "all aboard for one last trip."

* * *

The last Jason saw of his dad, Zeus was a hundred feet tall and spiking the ship overhand like a volleyball. If he hadn't been strapped to the mast with one of Leo's twenty-point safety harnesses, Jason would have dissolved into nothingness. Even so, his stomach seemed to fall out somewhere back in Greece and the air was forcibly removed from his lungs.

The sky flurried in varying shades of black, the ship rattled and creaked dangerously, the deck cracking under his feet. With a sonic boom, the Argo II was thrown out of the clouds.

"Jason!" Leo shouted, strapped to the controls. "Hurry!" Jason managed to wriggle out of his harness. Leo was fighting to straighten the ship as they spiralled into free fall. The sails were on fire, Festus clicked with alarm, a catapult was lost to the winds, shields vanished like giant metal Frisbees.

The cracks in the deck yawned. Jason staggered towards the hold, summoning winds around himself to keep him upright. He had to get to the others, he had to get them off this ship.

The hatch door burst open. Frank and Hazel tumbled onto deck, clinging to a guide rope tied to the mast. Piper, Annabeth and Percy were just behind them, scrambling in their disorientation to find their feet. "GO!" Leo yelled. "GO NOW!"

"LET'S GO!" Buford demanded, clattering across the deck. His Mini-Hedge screamed and waved his arms. "MOVE IT! CUT THAT OUT!" His tabletop split into helicopter blades and Buford was gone. Frank was the first to react, changing into a grey dragon. Hazel climbed up onto his neck. Frank picked Percy and Annabeth up in his front claws, spreading his wings to catch the gales and soaring away. Jason held Piper by the waist, about to take off, when he made the mistake of looking down. The view was vortex of sky, earth, sky, earth.

"Leo, come with us!" Jason shouted.

"No! Just go!"

"Leo!" Piper pleaded.

"Save your charmspeak, Beauty Queen! I've got a plan, now shoo!" Leo waved them away without looking round. Jason took a last look at the ship, coming apart at the seams and everything in between. It had been their home for so long, held so many memories, one of which had dried rusty brown in the floorboards, and now they were abandoning it. They were abandoning Leo. Jason wanted to argue more, but he could see the determination in Leo's slight frame. There was no time for a proper goodbye.

With a flick of his hand, the winds swirled around him and Piper and they shot into the sky. Piper clung to him, arms around his shoulders. As they fell, they saw the ground wasn't much better. Monsters coated the hills, swarming two tiny specks of demigods. Atop Half-Blood Hill stood the Athena Parthenos. Camp Half-Blood's main force stood with the First and Fifth Cohorts, rallying around the legion's golden eagle. The other three cohorts were several hundred yards away, maintaining a defensive position under the brunt of the monster swell.

Roman eagles encircled Jason, screeching and searching for orders. Dragon-Frank appeared, Percy clinging to his claw and looking very nauseous, staring wide-eyed at the ground.

"Hazel!" Jason called. "Those three cohorts need to merge with the other demigods, otherwise-"

"On it!" Hazel nodded. "Let's go, Frank!" Dragon Frank swooped to the left.

"Let's get them!" Annabeth cheered defiantly.

"I _hate_ flying!" Percy screamed, squeezing his eyes shut and pressing his face to the dragon's scaly leg.

Jason and Piper went the other way, aiming for the summit of Half-Blood Hill. He saw Nico cutting his way through a crowd of two-headed men, leading from the front lines of the Greeks. A few feet away, Reyna sat astride a very familiar, dappled grey pegasus, her sword drawn. The pegasus was helping, kicking and headbutting and wing-smacking monsters, biting at them. Reyna shouted orders at the legion and the Romans obeyed, as if she had never been away.

"Storm, let's go!" She pointed with her sword and Storm raced forward, slamming her way through dog-headed creatures, Reyna swiping and stabbing with her blade.

"Storm?" Jason repeated, feeling a laugh bubble up. He noticed Piper looking at him quizzically. "It's Lou's pegasus!"

"I can see why!" Piper said as Storm kicked a dog-headed man in the mouth and whinnied, almost laughing.

They couldn't see Octavian anywhere. And there wasn't a colossal earth goddess laying waste to the world. They landed on the hilltop, swords drawn. The Greeks and Romans cheered, Reyna looked round at the noise.

"About time!" She beamed. "What took you so long?"

"We had some giants to kill!" Piper grinned.

"Excellent!" Reyna nodded. "Help yourself to some barbarians!"

"How considerate of you!" Piper raced after her. Jason worked his way over to Nico. Nico simply nodded at him, as if it had only been a few minutes since their last meeting, and went back to turning two-headed men into no-headed corpses.

"Nice timing, Grace. Where's the ship? No, get that out of your mouth!" He yanked his blade free and decapitated another monster. Jason pointed. The Argo II flamed across the sky, tinging the early morning blue with shades of oranges and scorching reds, losing burning chunks of mast, hull and armament. Jason hoped Leo's fireproofing held up in that inferno. Nico stabbed another creature, his brow furrowing with concern. He swore in Italian. "Is everyone OK?"

"Leo… Leo said he had a plan." Jason's voice broke. He looked at Nico as he groin-kicked another two-headed man trying to eat his sword. "Nico, something happened and Lou-" The comet fell behind the western hills, the roar of the battle deafened him to any eruption.

"He'll be fine!" Nico called.

"Sure."

"But just in case- for Leo."

"For Leo." Jason agreed. He couldn't tell Nico about Louisa, not yet. They had too much at stake. Together, they charged into the fight. Jason kept the image of the comet in his mind, side by side with that wretched island Gaia had sprung up. If he had lost _two_ of his best friends for some stupid dirt lady, then he was _not_ going to let her get away with it so easily. His anger fuelled him, flooding his body with renewed energy.

The Greeks and the Romans slowly made ground. Wild centaurs fell. Wolf-headed men howled as they were cut down. More monsters were joining the fight- karpoi melted from the grass, gryphons swept from the sky, lumpy clay humanoids that Nico deciphered for him.

"They're ghosts with earth shells! Don't let them hit you!" Will Solace materialised beside Nico, talking in his ear. Jason couldn't hear him over the shouting and ringing of blades. "Jason, I have to go!" Nico said. Jason nodded. Will and Nico raced away, disappearing into the fray in a second. A squad of Hermes campers replaced them, stationing themselves around Jason for no apparent reason.

"Sup, Grace?" Connor Stoll grinned.

"End of the world, not much. You?"

"Yeah, can't complain." He ducked an ogre club and stabbed a karpoi. "Nice day for it!"

"Eiaculare flammas!" Reyna bellowed. A wave of flaming arrows arced over the legion's shield wall, eradicating an uprising of ogres. The Roman ranks filled the charred gap, taking out centaurs and trampling over injured ogres.

"Repellere equites!" Frank yelled somewhere down the hill. Dozens of centaurs scattered in panic as the legion's other three cohorts ploughed through, marching in perfect formation. Their spears glistened with monster blood and ash. Frank led from the front. Arion and Hazel rode on the left flank, the rider beaming with pride.

"Ave, Praetor Zhang!" Reyna called.

"Ave, Praetor Ramírez-Arellano!" Frank waved. "Legion, CLOSE RANKS!" The five cohorts arranged themselves into one almighty killing machine, cheering with renewed vigour. Frank directed them with a point of his sword. The golden eagle standard blasted tendrils of lightning, reducing a few hundred monsters to smouldering ashes.

"Legion, cuneum formate!" Reyna shouted. "Advance!"

More cheering on Jason's right. Percy and Annabeth charged in with Camp Half-Blood's forces.

"Greeks!" Percy grinned. "Let's fight stuff!" The Greeks screamed and charged.

"I love the Greeks!" Jason laughed. There was no organisation to them, no hard-learned battle tactics or rules to follow. They launched themselves into the battle with tons of enthusiasm and demented screams, spewing insults and challenges with manic glee. They cut through monsters with reckless abandon, Jason's spirit lifted at the sight of the legion working through to the Greeks' aid.

But there were two things wrong.

Where was Leo?

And where was Gaia?

The second answer came first.

The earth undulated beneath his feet. Demigods fell, tripping over themselves or swells of earth. Ogres slipped. Centaurs charged face-first into the grass.

_AWAKE_.

Beside the Athena Parthenos, the grass and soil danced upwards in a swirling cocoon. The column thickened into a twenty-foot-tall woman. Her dress was woven from grass, her skin was as white as quartz, her hair mud-brown and tangled like tree roots.

_Little fools_, Gaia opened her pure green eyes, _your measly statue could not contain me. _Gaia had not shown herself until now- Athena's might could only hold off a primordial goddess for so long. Fear splintered their resolve.

"Stand fast!" Piper shouted, her charmspeak flooding the air. "Greeks and Romans, we can fight her together!" Gaia laughed, spreading her arms. The ground bent towards her. Trees swayed, bedrock complained, soil cascaded in waves. Jason shot into the sky, but there was nothing he could do. Demigods and monsters alike began to sink into the ground. An onager toppled and was engulfed in the hillside.

_The whole earth is my body,_ Gaia boomed gleefully_, how would you fight the goddess of-?_

_FOOOMP!_

In a flash of bronze, Gaia was plucked from the hillside, caught in the claws of a fifty-ton metal dragon.

Festus, reborn better than ever, soared skyward on gleaming wings. He billowed fire victoriously. Leo's grin was unmistakable.

"Pipes!" He shouted down. "Jason! You coming? The fight's up here!"


	27. Chapter 27

**To RandomFanAuthor- mmmmmmmmmmmI'm-saying-nothing. And yay! Siblings! I'm open to offers on mine, buy one get five free! ^_^ I _love_ the differences in the camps, I saw this thing on tumblr, I'll see if I can find it again, but it was describing _why_ the camps were so different- something along the lines of the Greeks being more in tune with nature and their natural gifts/powers, etc whereas Camp Jupiter are set more in ideas and tactics, I REALLY need to find it again! O.o **

**To HoO Fan- I headcanon Will swears more than he lets on. So, yes, 'get your head out of your ass'... my favourite was the 'anaemic bastard' though, I felt it suited the situation more! ^_^ Aaaaaannd SEVERAL, are we talking books/films/games/shows?**

* * *

Gaia's lift-off solidified the ground. Demigods stopped sinking, but the monsters were digging themselves out far more quickly. They began to advance on Greeks and Romans, revelling in the advantage of their disorganisation. Jason helped Piper to her feet, tucking an arm around her waist.

"Wait!" Percy called. "Frank can fly the rest of us up there! We can all-"

"No, man." Jason shook his head. "They need you here, help them take the monsters out."

"He's right." Frank gripped Percy's arm. "You have to let them do this, Percy. It's like Annabeth's quest in Rome. Or Hazel at the Doors of Death. This part can only be them."

"Well, that's stupid." Percy grumbled. He didn't get to protest further, a flood of monsters raining down on the Greeks. "Oh no you don't!" Percy charged back in, joining Annabeth and leading the counter-attack.

Frank and Hazel turned to Jason. They stood to attention, raising their arms in the Roman salute. Jason smiled, replying similarly, and then they were gone, off to regroup the legion. Jason swept the winds under him and Piper and they shot up.

"I've got the cure," Piper murmured, almost chant-like. "It'll be fine, I've got the cure." She had lost her sword somehow, but it hardly mattered now. A sword wouldn't be much use against Gaia. This was down to storm and fire. And Piper's charmspeak. She had slowed Gaia before, at the Wolf House, and now she was going to have to do it again, but _bigger_.

Jason pulled winds and clouds to him. The sky answered his will with frightening speed and they were quickly encased in the eye of a maelstrom. Lightning burned his eyes. Thunder rattled his teeth. Above them, Festus clawed and grappled and wrestled with Gaia. She kept disintegrating, trying to trickle back down, but the winds kept her aloft. Festus blew white-hot flames over her, forcing her back into a solid form. Leo sat on Festus's back, blasting her with his own fire and screaming insults.

"Potty Sludge! Dirt Face! THIS IS FOR LOUISA!" A fireball wreathed her head. "AND THIS IS FOR MY MOTHER, ESPERANZA VALDEZ!" His whole body was enveloped in snapping tongues of fire, all the usual hues of flames, but also a vivid blue over his skin. Rain steamed around him in a ten-foot radius, a radius that was rapidly expanding. Festus roared.

Gaia crumbled into white sand. Jason summoned a herd of venti. They whisked around her, imprisoning her in a silvery-white, roaring cocoon of wind. The goddess did everything she could to fight back- when she wasn't disintegrating, she flung volleys of stones and soil, she tried ensnaring them with vines and tree roots from her hands. Jason kept the earthen assault at bay, Leo's fire made quick work of plant-life.

Maintaining this storm, willing the venti to contain Gaia, keeping himself and Piper in the air- Jason had never done anything so difficult. It was like trying to swim with only his legs and holding a car over his head. But Gaia _had_ to stay airborne. Gaia was to stay _away_ from her source of power and it was their job to weaken her until she could be defeated.

Together, they ascended. Festus groaned with the effort, but their altitude increased. Jason recalled all the hours Leo had spent crawling around the hull these past few weeks. He must have realised the Argo II would fall apart eventually, rebuilding the dragon's body in the framework.

_YOU CANNOT DEFEAT ME_! Gaia screamed, melting into sand only to be torched once more. Her body became lumpy swells of glass, shattering, and trying to reform as human. _I AM ETERNAL_!

"Eternally annoying!" Leo yelled, urging Festus higher. Jason and Piper were close behind, but Piper still had other ideas:

"Get me closer!" She was nearly shouting in Jason's ear, but he could just about hear her. "I need to be next to her!"

"Piper, the flames and-"

"I know!" He took one look at her face and did not argue further. He swooped around and through fire and showers of earth and boulders, settling right next to Gaia. The winds still bound her, keeping her solid, but it was all Jason could do to deflect her assaults of sand and soil.

_FOOLISH CHILDREN_! Her face cracked with miniature earthquakes and landslides.

"You are so weary!" Piper told the goddess, her voice brimming with kindness and sympathy. "Aeons of pain and disappointment weigh on you."

_SILENCE_! Gaia raged. Her anger crashed over Jason and they would have tumbled into free-fall, had Festus not caught him and Piper in his other huge claw.

"Millennia of sorrow," Piper continued, "your husband, Ouranos, was abusive. Your grandchildren, the gods, overthrew your beloved children, the Titans. Your other children, the Cyclopes and the Hundred-Handed Ones, were thrown into Tartarus. You are so tired of heartache."

_LIES_! Gaia swirled into a tornado of grass and soil, churning sluggishly. Jason looked up- if they went any higher, the air would be too thin to breathe. Piper's words were affecting him too, dwindling his reserves of strength, filling his body with leaden weights.

"What you want," Piper pressed on, "more than victory, _more_ than revenge- you want _rest_. You are so weary, so impossibly tired of the ungrateful mortals and immortals-"

_YOU DO NOT SPEAK FOR ME- YOU CANNOT- _

"You want one thing," Piper said soothingly, "you want permission to close your eyes and forget your troubles. You- want- _SLEEP_." Gaia hardened into human form. Her head lolled back, her eyes shut. She became limp in Festus's hold. Darkness swirled at the edges of Jason's vision, he could hardly keep his eyes open. The storm began to die, the winds dwindled. "Leo!" Piper gasped, struggling for breath, "we only have a few seconds!"

"I know!" Leo called back. Fire raged under his skin, illuminating him from within. The fire around him was mostly blue now, absorbing what little oxygen was available. Festus steamed and glowed red-hot, his claws burning through Jason's shirt. "I can't hold the fire much longer. I'll vaporize her, but you guys need to leave."

"No!" Jason fought unconsciousness, wiggling and kicking his legs. "We have to stay with you! Piper's got the cure! Leo, you can't-"

"Hey." Leo grinned, which was unnerving in his flames. "I told you I had a plan. I love you guys." Festus dropped them. Jason had no strength to stop it. He held onto Piper as she screamed for Leo. Festus became an indistinct ball of fire in the sky, growing smaller and hotter.

"LEO!" Piper screamed, fighting against Jason's hold as if sheer willpower could get her back to their friend. Her tears flew upward and she bucked, screaming wordlessly.

Something caught Jason's eye. A blazing comet blasted skyward from the ground, screaming almost as much as Piper. She saw it too, throwing out her hand towards it as if that would stop it. The comet slammed into the ball of fire above them. The explosion turned the sky gold. Piper slipped from his hold, wailing. Jason blacked out.


	28. Chapter 28

**To . - but she's dead**

**To RandomFanAuthor- Death to said siblings if required, that is your decision under terms and conditions. I still couldn't find that thing about the Greeks/Romans, but I'll keep looking! I think you're right in thinking of the building an empire thing though! And what Leoisa reunion? She dead.**

**To HoO Fan- YAY, THANK YOU! And yes she did, YES SHE DID. Hazel swearing brought me SO MUCH JOY. I was so disappointed with Aphrodite and Piper's fight in the original, it HAD to be changed! And Jason doesn't DIE, he's just napping! That's all it is! (But I could very easily, I have a penchant for being mean! ^_^ ) Oh, he wanted to blast her to bits YEARS ago, like when she knee high, she's an asshole. And I needed more father/son bonding because Jason NAPS, totally NAPS and he needed this before he NAPS. And do not be ashamed, I love the reviews!**

* * *

Will Solace had one word to get Nico's attention- "Octavian."

"Where?" Nico demanded.

"Come on," Will motioned with his head, "we have to hurry."

"Jason!" Nico looked back, Jason fighting a few feet to his left. "I have to go!" Jason nodded and Nico followed Will, plunging into the chaos. They ran by Tyson and his Cyclopes:

"Bad dog, bad dog!" They scolded, bashing cynocephali on the head. Grover and a team of satyrs hopped around with their panpipes, playing harmonies so jarring, the earthen-ghosts cracked apart. Travis Stoll sprinted past, arguing with his brother.

"What do you _mean_ we set the landmines on the wrong hill?"

"I'm stressed, leave it off!"

"_You're _stressed? I had a grey hair this morning!"

"Oh, poo poo!"

Nico and Will were halfway down the hill when the ground rumbled below them. They froze along with everyone else- monster and demigod alike- watching in horror as a swirling column of earth erupted on top of the next hill. Gaia burst into existence, spreading her arms.

_FOOOMP_! Something large and bronze scooped her from the land, dragging her into the sky.

"What the-?" Nico marvelled.

"I have no idea, but it was pretty cool." Will nodded and then shook his head, refocusing on the task at hand. "We have other problems."

"Right, right." Nico mentally shook himself and followed Will to the nearest onager. Octavian was furiously re-aligning the machine's targeting. The throwing arm was already loaded with an abundance of Imperial gold shards and explosives. Octavian hurried, tripping over gears and anchor spikes, fumbling with the ropes, glancing at Festus every so often. "Octavian!" Nico yelled.

The augur whipped round, backing up against the huge ammunition. His purple robes snagged on the trigger rope, but he didn't notice. Fumes from the missile twisted around him, as if drawn to the Imperial gold jewellery adorning his arms and neck, the golden wreath in his hair.

"Trying to steal my glory?" Octavian demanded, laughing bitterly. "No, no, son of Pluto, I am the saviour of Rome! I was promised!"

"Octavian," Will raised in hands placatingly, "get away from there, it's not safe."

"Of course it's not! I will shoot Gaia down with this machine!" Nico saw Jason launch him and Piper into the sky, heading straight for Festus. Storm clouds gathered, spinning into a hurricane with a crash of thunder. "You see?" Octavian cried. The gold he wore was smoking now. "The gods approve of my actions!"

"_Jason_ is making that storm," Nico scowled, "if you fire the onager, you'll kill him and Piper, and-"

"Good! They're traitors, all traitors!"

"Listen to me!" Will pleaded. "This is _not_ what Apollo would want! Your robes-"

"You know _nothing_!" Octavian spat, grabbing the release lever. "I must act before they get any higher! Only an onager such as this can make the shot, I will single-handedly-"

"Centurion."

From behind the siege weapon, Michael Kahale appeared. His forehead was bruised and swollen on one side where Tyson had knocked him out, he staggered as he walked. He had somehow found his way here from the beach, acquiring a sword and shield along the way.

"Michael!" Octavian screeched delightedly. "Excellent! Guard me while I fire this! Then we will kill them together!" Michael surveyed the scene, taking in his smoking boss and the entangled robes, looking up at Festus, the storm. He looked to Nico, scowling. Nico gripped his sword, ready. Surely Michael would have the sense to warn his leader, surely he would attack.

"Are you certain, Octavian?"

"Yes!"

"Absolutely?"

"Yes, you idiot! I will be remembered as the saviour of Rome! Now, keep them away while I destroy Gaia!"

"Octavian, don't." Will tried. "We can't allow you-"

"Will, we can't stop him." Nico said. Will stared at him, disbelief trapping his words in his throat. He remembered his talk with his father in the Chapel of Bones- _some deaths cannot be prevented_.

"That's right, son of Pluto. You are helpless to stop me! It is my destiny! Kahale, stand guard!"

"As you wish." Michael positioned himself in front of the machine, standing between his sponsor and the Greeks. "Centurion, do what you must."

"A good friend to the last." Octavian smiled, turning to release the catch. "Goodbye, Gaia! Goodbye, Jason Grace, the traitor!" He cut the release wire with his augur's knife and disappeared. The catapult arm swung faster than Nico could follow, launching Octavian along with the ammunition.

"Goodbye, Octavian." Michael said. He glared at Will and Nico, daring them to speak. Then he turned on his heel and stomped away.

Nico could have lived with Octavian's demise, would have even said good riddance. A part of him couldn't wait to tell Louisa, although she would be disappointed she hadn't done it herself. But his heart sank. The comet gained altitude. The storm clouds swallowed it and the sky became a dome of fire.

* * *

It was over.

Piper and Jason had been caught by giant eagles and brought safely back down, but there was no sign of Leo. His siblings in the Hephaestus cabin scoured the valley. They only found bits and pieces of the ship. Nothing of Festus or his master.

Satyrs and nymphs had retreated to the woods overnight, assembling a meeting of the Cloven Elders. Grover, that morning, had announced that they could not sense Gaia's presence. Nature was, more or less, back to how it was. Jason, Piper and Leo's plan had worked. Separating Gaia from her source of power and charming her to sleep, obliterating her between Leo's fire and Octavian's comet. An immortal could not die. The earth would function as it always did, but Gaia was dispersed and powerless; she would never again form a consciousness.

The monsters had been destroyed or scattered. Greek and Roman casualties were heavy, but things could have been worse. Octavian got his wish, he _would_ be remembered for saving Rome by launching himself into the sky on a fiery ball of death. But it was Leo Valdez who had made the _real _sacrifice. Chiron had asked Nico to oversee the burial rites, so many shrouded demigods, both Greek and Roman. As a son of Hades, it seemed fitting he did, it was an honour, to make sure that every soul lost for the cause would receive the rightful respects and rituals.

There was one shroud he didn't want to look at.

Percy held a blue-green silky shroud, his fingers curling in the material. Tears flooded his face as he glowered at the emblem of his father, trembling. He and Annabeth had told Nico together, Percy couldn't find the words. The scene was all too familiar, outside the dining pavilion, middle of the night. Except there were no skeleton monsters. Nico kept his eyes on the scar in the stone, the rift that had taken those monsters and revealed to Percy his nature. He had run away then, disappearing into the shadows. A small, selfish part of him wanted to do that again; that was how he had met Louisa. Maybe some force would dump him on her again, maybe she was just out there, hiding and catching a well-deserved break and chowing down on hot dogs.

No. Even if he survived the jump, Louisa would _never_ have let him run again. The time for running away was over.

Percy held the shroud over the fire, the last of many. The flames cast deep shadows over his face, the light shimmering on tear tracks.

"Bye, Lou." He dropped the shroud. The fire ate it up, flickering from oranges to sea green over the material.

* * *

Nico met with the six demigods of the Argo II, on the porch of the Big House. He stood away from Percy, between Jason and Hazel, grasping his sister's hand with no intention of letting go anytime soon.

Jason hung his head.

"We should have been there at the end. We could have helped Leo."

"It's not right." Piper sobbed. "All that work getting the physician's cure and for _what_?" Hazel broke down into tears.

"Piper, where's the cure? Bring it out." Piper stared at her in bewilderment, reaching into her belt pouch. She produced the chamois-cloth package. The material fell away under her trembling fingers. The cloth was empty. She stared at it, uncomprehending. All eyes turned to Hazel.

"How?" Annabeth asked.

"In Delos, Leo pulled the two of us aside." Frank said quietly, putting his arm around Hazel. "He pleaded with us to help him." Together, through tears, they explained the illusion that had switched the physician's cure for what Piper believed she had, how Leo's plan had been to weaken Gaia with one massive fiery explosion. Leo had talked to Nike and Apollo, he had determined that any explosion he caused would kill any mortal within a quarter of a mile. He knew he would have to get far away, from everyone.

"He wanted to do it alone," Frank said, wiping at his face, "he thought there would be a slim chance… that he, a son of Hephaestus, could survive the fire, but… but if anyone was with him, he… he said that Hazel and I, he said we would understand about sacrifice. Being Roman. He… he knew the rest of you… would never allow it."

Whatever anger the group held faded as the pair talked. They could not be mad at Frank and Hazel as they cried. And it was hard to deny the plan, a plan so sneaky and twisted and unbelievably annoying and noble, it was something only Leo Valdez could come up with.

Piper let out a sound between a sob and a laugh.

"If he were here right now, I would _kill_ him. How was he planning to take the cure? He was alone!"

"Maybe he found a way." Percy said, voice rough, head bowed. "This _is_ Leo we're talking about." He continued as they watched him worriedly. "He might come back any minute. Then… then we can take turns strangling him." Annabeth lay a hand on his shoulder, but he didn't look up, putting his head in his hands. At least Leo had a chance of coming back. Louisa didn't.

* * *

The next day, Greeks and Romans worked side by side to clean up the warzone. They tended to the wounded. Blackjack was recovering nicely, flourishing more under Percy's care and revelling in having his boss back. Storm had taken a liking to Reyna, but she was loyal to her rider and paired Reyna with Guido. Percy had to take the mare to one side, but she didn't believe him, trotting away and kicking, whinnying angrily, every time he tried to get close to her.

Nico went to find Reyna. He hadn't seen her since the shroud-burning. They needed to talk. He found her debating with Lou Ellen about her new pet piglets.

"They're _Romans_, turn them back, right now."

"But I like them as pigs!"

"Turn them back!"

"Can I keep _one_?"

"No, I want _all six_ returned to their normal _human_ selves, please and thank you!"

"Ugh, you're so boring." Lou Ellen waved her hand and Mist clouded around the piglets. A few seconds later, six rather confused Romans lay in a heap on the floor. They all took one look at Lou Ellen and scrambled away.

"Michael," Reyna nodded at her new assistant, "could you check on them for me?"

"Yes, Praetor." Michael bowed his head and ran after the ex-piglets.

"Um, you're welcome." Lou Ellen prompted.

"No more pigs." Reyna warned.

"Cows?"

"No."

"Rude." Lou Ellen walked off. Reyna turned, seeing Nico at her shoulder. Her expression tightened, she lowered her eyes.

"I can't believe it either." She said quietly.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner." Nico looked out to the camp. "I wish you hadn't found out like that." He had seen Reyna's face at the fire, seen her reaction to Percy holding a shroud. No one should have to find out like that.

"Do… do you know what happened?" She looked at him, a moment from tears. Nico nodded, but didn't divulge. He motioned with his head and they walked to his cabin. In the quiet, sat on the doorstep of Cabin Thirteen, he told her. She kept her head down as he spoke, hands tucked between her knees. "I… I didn't know," he said once finished, "I can sense… I can sense death, but I didn't-" His voice cracked. He put a hand over his mouth as his eyes burned.

Reyna finally looked up. Silent tears speckled on her cheeks. She examined the sky, her gaze travelled down, looking to the ocean glistening around them. Nico sniffed, wiping at his face. "Reyna, I'm sorry-"

"You have nothing to apologise for." Reyna said evenly. "You've lost a sister as much as I've lost a friend." She took a deep breath, looking at him. Her expression softened and she offered her hand. Nico gripped it, no longer holding back his grief. They would not forget.


	29. Chapter 29

**To RandomFanAuthor- and how, pray tell, do you suppose she's alive? I mean, Gaia _did_ make an _entiiiiire_ island just to kill her. Made her fall and injured her, absorbed her into a tree, she used her last chance move that basically obliterates everything and anything with the entire force of Poseidon's wrath... but yeah, sure, I'll fight you *rubber armour* And now you've said that about Octavian's voice, I literally cannot hear anything else now! And I'm not _totally_ evil? Are you sure? ARE YOU REALLY SURE? You don't know my plans... mwhahahaha! **

**To HoO Fan- I know, I know! The finale, it has come so quickly! And yeah, she's dead dead. See above! ^_^ And I already said, he was NAPPING, it's just a NAP, he needed a NAP anyway, let him NAP. But yes, the ToA rewrite is underway, buuuut I don't have to do all of it for my plan, so I hope ya'll remember what happens! And the Magnus Chase rewrite... I need to reread this series, that may come AFTER ToA and all! **

**To JasonGraceIsDead- firstly, I change your name to JasonGraceIsNAPPING because that's what he's doing! And for Lou!**

* * *

The Romans had set their camp next to the strawberry fields. They decided to build their standard field camp, so the Greeks pitched in to help raise earthen walls and dig trenches. It was all very strange, but… relieving. Dakota shared Kool-Aid with the Dionysus kids. The children of Hermes and Mercury were up to no good, stealing from just about everyone. Reyna kept herself busy, teaming up with Annabeth and Piper. They roamed the camp to check on the progress of repairs and keep things in line. Piper talked the Mercury and Hermes children into returning their stolen goods, but she had to do this about four times every hour. Chiron walked with Frank and Hazel, inspecting the Romans, admiring their handiwork and praising them for their bravery.

By evening, the general mood over camp had somewhat lightened. The dining hall was near bursting at the seams. Coach Hedge worked his way through the demigods, proudly showing off his baby boy. "Want to meet Chuck?" He grinned. "This is my boy, Chuck!" The little satyr baby had many admirers, kicking his tiny hooves and waving his pudgy fists, bleating, "Baa! Baa!" Coach couldn't stop smiling. Clarisse had been titled Chuck's godmother, trailing behind father and son like a bodyguard.

"Alright, alright, give the kid some space."

Chiron stomped his hoof, drawing their attention. He raised his goblet.

"Out of every tragedy," he said, "comes new strength. Today, we thank the gods for this victory. To the gods!" He was joined in the toast, but enthusiasm was muted. Nico read the mood easily, his thoughts reflected in the crowd- _we saved the gods, why are we supposed to thank them?_

Chiron smiled. "And to new friends!"

"TO NEW FRIENDS!" Hundreds of voices filled the pavilion, flowing over the hills.

The campfire was just as loud and rambunctious. The Greeks taught the Romans their camp songs, the Romans wolfed down marshmallows like no tomorrow. They all watched the stars, shared stories, stole sweets and exchanged bad jokes. They were expecting Leo to come back in some last-minute, dramatic twist of events- no-one could tell bad jokes quite like Leo Valdez.

Reyna and Frank were called to the front, standing to a thunderous round of applause from all around. They smiled, Frank turned a little pink at the attention, but Hazel was smiling at him proudly, bolstering his confidence.

"Tomorrow," Reyna said once quiet fell, "we must return home. We appreciate your hospitality, especially since we almost killed you-"

"You almost _got_ killed." Annabeth smirked.

"Whatever, Chase."

"_Ooooohhhhh_!" The crowd said as one, laughter breaking out, playfully shoving each other. Nico managed a small smile.

"Anyway," Frank took over, "Reyna and I agree this marks a new era of friendship between the camps." Reyna clapped him on the back, nodding.

"For hundreds of years, the gods tried to separate us to keep us from fighting, but there's a better kind of peace- cooperation."

"Are you _sure_ your mom's a war goddess?" Piper asked, standing.

"Quite sure." Reyna smiled. "I still intended to fight _a lot_ of battles, but we will fight _together_." That drew another large cheer from the crowd, marshmallows raised in respect. Frank raised his hand for quiet.

"You'll all be welcome at Camp Jupiter. We've come to an agreement with Chiron- a free exchange between the camps. Weekend visits, training programmes and, of course, emergency aid in time of need-"

"And parties?" Dakota asked.

"That goes without saying," Reyna shrugged, "Romans _invented_ parties."

"Challenge accepted!" Connor Stoll grinned.

"So thank you," Reyna concluded, "all of you. We could have chosen hatred and war. Instead, we found acceptance and friendship." Her eyes fell on Nico and she smiled sadly. She walked straight up to him, grasping his hand and pulling him from the shadows. "We had one home," she said, "now we have two." She hugged Nico tightly and, for once, he didn't feel like pulling away. He hid his face in her shoulder, blinking tears away. "Lou would be so proud of you." She said quietly.

"And of you." Nico wasn't very good at bear hugs, but he tried. Reyna laughed softly, pulling away.

"No one cracks ribs _quite_ like Lou."

"I'll work on it." Nico promised.

"As will I." Reyna messed his hair.

* * *

Nico slept in the Hades cabin that night. He had hardly used it before, but it was in serious need of revamping. Whoever had done the interior decoration had decided the children of Hades were vampires, not demigods. Once things had settled down a bit, he was going to completely remodel the entire thing and maybe set a few things on fire.

What made this poorly decorated cabin much more tolerable was sharing it with Hazel. He tried not to think of his sister leaving in the morning, instead listening to her criticism of the cabin and explaining Mythomagic to her.

Frank came to visit just before curfew. He borrowed Hazel for a few minutes, talking in quiet tones. Nico tried to ignore them, adjusting his Mythomagic figures on the shelf. Louisa had always told him not to hide his geekiness, but he couldn't quite put the Poseidon figure down. He remembered first telling Louisa about the game.

"_This don't look anythin' like Dad." _

"_But it's still Poseidon." _

"_Nah. Ya'll need one of me, I'd be well good in this Mist-of-magic." _

"Myth-o-magic._ Why is that so hard for you?" _

"_Why is this so _not_ like my dad?" _

"_I don't know, I didn't design them. Are you going to play or not?" _

"_I'll play, I'll play. But I get not-Poseidon." _

"_I expected nothing else." _

Frank knocked on the wall beside Nico's bed, startling from his thoughts.

"Sorry." He smiled sheepishly. "You OK?" Nico squinted up at him. Frank stood so tall now, he seemed so… _Roman_.

"I'm… I'm good, just…" He showed him the Poseidon figure. "Lou always wanted to redesign them. And she always tried to cheat too. Said she could drown all of her opponents- _attack points ain't got nothin' on lungs fillin' with water_!" He sighed, adjusting the figure's arms restlessly. Frank crouched by his bed. Nico sat up, setting the figure on the shelf.

"We'll be leaving in the morning." Frank said carefully. "I just… wanted to say thanks."

"You've been great, Frank. It's been an honour."

"Honestly," Frank smiled, "I'm kind of surprised I lived through it. The whole magic firewood thing…"

"I can't see the future," Nico patted him on the shoulder, "but your firewood isn't going to burn up anytime soon, Praetor Zhang. You and Hazel… you've got a lot more adventures ahead." Nico looked him square in the eye. "Be good to my sister, OK?"

"Nico, are you threatening my boyfriend?" Hazel folded her arms on Frank's head, smiling down at her brother. Even with him crouching, Hazel was still so petite compared to Frank, but they were so comfortable together.

"No threats," Nico promised, "Frank's a good guy. Or bear. Or bulldog. Or bees- yeah, _how_ does the swarm of bees thing work?"

"I… have no idea."

"But… how can you be hundreds of bees all at once?"

"I don't know."

"Lame."

"Very sorry."

"Yeah, you sound it." Nico shook his head, giving the smallest of smiles.

"Are… are you sure you won't come with us?" Frank asked. "You'll always have a place in New Rome."

"Thanks, Praetor. Reyna asked me the same thing. But… no."

"But we'll see you soon, right?"

"Oh, definitely. I'm going to be the maid of honour at your wedding." Frank flushed crimson. He jumped to his feet, nearly knocking Hazel over. He quickly righted her and then left, bumping into the doorframe on the way out. Nico couldn't help but laugh. Hazel sighed, planting her hands on her hips.

"You're horrible." She chided good-naturedly, a little red herself. She sat next to him, a comfortable silence settling over them. Two siblings, two children from the past, two children of the Underworld.

"I'm going to miss you." Nico said. Hazel rested her head on his shoulder.

"You too, big brother. You _will_ visit." She ordered. Nico smiled, tapping her new officer's badge on her shirt.

"Centurion of the Fifth Cohort now. Are there rules against centurions dating praetors?"

"Ssh." Hazel put a finger to her lips, smiling coyly. "It'll be a lot of work getting the legion back in shape, repairing Octavian's damage. Dating regulations will be the _least_ of my worries."

"I'm so proud of you. You've come so far; you're not the same girl I brought to Camp Jupiter. Your power with the Mist, your confidence-"

"It's all thanks to you."

"No," Nico shook his head, "getting a second life is one thing. Making it _better_, that's the trick."

"What about you?" She asked gently. Nico hunched his shoulders.

"One thing at a time." He looked up, frowning at the cabin. "But I'm _definitely_ going to tear this cabin apart." He picked at his lip. Hazel squeezed his hand, sniffing.

"I can't believe they're gone." She mumbled, bottom lip trembling. "You felt his death, didn't you?"

"Yeah," Nico sighed, "but… something about it was… different?"

"I thought… I thought I was helping Leo. I messed up."

"No. It's _not_ your fault." He insisted. "Don't you _dare_ think it is." But he was thinking that himself- not about her, no, never. He would _never_ blame Hazel, she had done no wrong. But he had spent the last two days replaying the scene with Octavian. Had he done the wrong thing? Maybe the explosive power of that missile had helped destroy Gaia. But what if it had also unnecessarily cost Leo Valdez his life?

Hazel sniffed again, wiping at her eyes.

"They both died alone." She whispered. "All we've got- all we _had_ were _shrouds_." Her voice broke. Nico held her as she sobbed, gently stroking her hair. Silent tears of his own fell. Hazel cried herself to sleep. Nico tucked her into his own bed, kissing her forehead. He stood uncertainly in the middle of his cabin, regarding the Mythomagic figures. Then he turned, moving on quiet feet to the shrine of Hades in the corner- a little table decorated with bones and jewels. He knelt, adjusting a few of the shrine's decorations. Then he prayed. He prayed for those lost, hoping they found peace. He prayed Leo's plan paid off. He prayed for his father's guidance. And he prayed for Louisa- wherever she landed up in Hades' realm, he had no doubt she would take a sadistic delight in it.

* * *

He was still awake at dawn, listening to Hazel snoring softly and mumbling in her sleep. He shuffled through his Mythomagic cards, but he still knew all their stats by heart. Someone knocked on the door and he frowned. The door creaked open and, at first, he registered a face with blond hair. For a split second, he thought it was Will Solace. He hadn't seen him since Octavian launched himself into the sky. Will spent most of his time in the infirmary or running across camp to fetch more medical supplies or making a house call on a wounded demigod. All the Apollo kids had their hands full, Nico couldn't fault them. But he had a gnawing suspicion that Will blamed Nico for what happened to Octavian- he probably thought Nico was a monster, for letting that happen. Even if he wasn't rushed off his feet, why would he want to talk to Nico anyway?

But it wasn't Will. It was Jason. Disappointment filled his chest, quickly followed by anger for feeling that way.

"You OK?" Jason asked. "You look-"

"Fine." Nico snapped, hastily softening his tone. "If you're looking for Hazel, she's still asleep." He nodded backwards. Jason nodded, motioning for Nico to come outside. Nico followed, blinking and thrown by the sunlight. "Aw, damn, maybe these vampire decorations are onto something."

"What?"

"Nothing." Nico shielded his eyes from the sun. He was _not _a morning person. He squinted at Jason. The blond hadn't slept much better, his hair had a cowlick on one side and his new glasses sat at a funny angle on his nose. Nico had to restrain himself from straightening them out, but the more he looked at them, the more irritating it was.

Jason pointed to the strawberry fields, where the Romans were breaking camp.

"It was strange to see them here. Now it'll be strange _not_ seeing them."

"Do you regret not going with them?"

"A little." Jason smiled lopsidedly. "But I'll be going back and forth between camps a lot anyway, so many shrines to build."

"I heard." Nico managed a smile. "The Senate plans to elect you Pontifex Maximus." Jason hunched his shoulders.

"I'm not so worried about the titles. I just want to make sure the gods are remembered. I don't want them fighting out of jealousy anymore or taking their frustrations out on demigods."

"That would be nice, but they're gods." Nico pointed out. "It's in their nature."

"Maybe," Jason sighed, "but I can try to make it better. I guess Leo would say I'm acting like a mechanic, doing preventative maintenance."

"You couldn't have stopped Leo. There's nothing that could have been done differently. He knew what had to happen."

"I-I guess. I don't suppose you can tell if he's still…"

"He's gone." Nico said quickly, wincing as Jason's shoulders slumped. "I'm sorry. I wish I could tell you otherwise, but I _sensed_ his death." Jason stared off into the distance, toying with his hands anxiously.

"And Lou? Did you sense her?"

"No. I think… it was too far away and…"

"I'm sorry. I know you two were close." Jason smiled sadly. Nico almost told him about his doubts, about Leo, about how different his death had felt. As if Leo's soul had invented its own way to the Underworld. But he couldn't give Jason false hope- Leo Valdez _had_ died. And death was death.

Jason was talking again, watching the Romans gather their gear in the distance and toting it up the hill. "Lou always told me she couldn't stay at Camp Jupiter because she had loyalties elsewhere. I didn't know what she meant at the time, but I do now." He looked back to Nico. "I think she chose not to stay because she wanted to be there for you. She talked about a brother, _long_ before we knew about Percy. I always asked when 'could I meet this brother, Lou?' and I'd always get the same response- _you ain't classy enough ta meet my brother_."

"As if she had any class of her own."

"Oh, she 'oozed' it. Well, according to her, anyway." Jason sighed, his sad smile returning. "She and Leo were the biggest pains I've ever met, but…"

"They were good people." Nico finished for him. "I didn't know Leo as well as Lou did, or any of you did, but… honestly, his jokes, they were just-"

"Awful." Jason gave a soft laugh. "Absolutely _dreadful_."

"And teamed with Lou-"

"Oh my gods, it was the worst." Jason shook his head, made no-no motions with his hands. "Just be grateful you didn't have to deal with them when the Argo II was being built." Jason looked back at the Romans. Nico folded his arms. "Ella is going back with them." Jason told him. "She and Tyson, even Rachel. They're going to work to reconstruct the Sibylline Books."

"That sounds fun."

"Could take years." Jason sighed. "But the voice of Delphi…"

"Still not working?"

"No. I wish I knew what happened to Apollo in Athens. Maybe Artemis will get him out of trouble with Zeus and the power of prophecy will work again. But for now… those Books might be our only way to get guidance for quests."

"I think I've had my fill of prophecies and quests for a while." Jason finally straightened his glasses.

"Nico, the reason I wanted to talk to you… I- I know you've already turned down a place at Camp Jupiter. But I wanted… I probably can't change your mind, but I wanted to ask if you'd stay here?"

"I'm staying."

"You are?"

"Yeah. For starters, the Hades cabin needs a head counsellor, preferably one who can _actually_ interior decorate. And someone needs to do the burial rites properly, since demigods insist on dying heroically." He shrugged. "Besides, I think Lou would claw her way back and kick my ass if I left."

"You're really staying?" Jason marvelled. Nico nodded and he grinned. "Dude, that's fantastic!" He threw his arms out for a hug, then froze. "Right, no touching. Sorry."

"You get _one_ hug." Nico warned. "But that's it." Jason beamed, squeezing him so hard Nico thought his ribs would crack. "Lame," he wheezed, "Lou's hugs would _break_ my ribs."

"I'm not so mean." Jason laughed, setting him down and messing his hair. "Oh man, wait 'til I tell Piper! Hey, since I'm all alone in my cabin too, you and I can share a table in the dining hall. We can team up for capture-the-flag and sing-along contests and-"

"Are you _trying_ to scare me away?"

"Sorry, sorry. I'm just glad." Jason smiled at him. "Lou would be too." Nico managed a wobbly smile, looking towards the cabins. His gaze lingered on the Poseidon cabin, now down to one member as well. Maybe Percy would enjoy sing-alongs more than him.

Someone waving caught his eye. Will Solace stood in the doorway of the Apollo cabin, with a rather stern look on his face. He pointed to Nico and then at the ground. _You. Here. Now_.

"Jason, will you excuse me? I have to go and deal with… some variation of idiot."

"Get used to it, the camp's full of them."

"I'll tell them you said that."

"Little sod."

* * *

"_Soooo_, where were you?" Will demanded. He wore a green surgeon's shirt with jeans and flip-flops, which probably wasn't standard hospital protocol. Nico decided not to question the outfit, looking at Will instead.

"What do you mean?"

"I've been stuck in the infirmary for, like, eight years-"

"Two days."

"-and you don't come by! You don't offer to help."

"I… what? Why would you want a son of Hades in the same room with people you're trying to heal? Why would _anyone_ want that?"

"Uh, what, you can't help out a friend? Maybe cut bandages or bring me a snack? No _hey Will, how's it going_? You don't think I could stand to see a friendly, not-bleeding face?"

"My… what, _my _face?"

"As long as it's not bleeding, see 'not-bleeding face'." Nico stared at him. Will sighed. "Gods, you're so dense. I hope you got over that leaving Camp Half-Blood nonsense."

"Uh, yeah. Yeah I did. I'm staying."

"Good. You may be dense, di Angelo, but seems like you're not a total idiot." Will rolled his eyes. Nico floundered.

"How- how can you even talk to me like that? I can summon skeletons and zombies and-"

"Oh _please_, you couldn't summon a wishbone without melting into a puddle of darkness." Will jabbed him in the chest. "I told you, no more Underworldy stuff, doctor's orders. You owe me _at least_ three days of rest in the infirmary. Starting _now_."

"Say _what_?"

"_Now_."

"But-" A loud whooping cut across Nico. They both looked round. In the centre of the common, Percy was grinning at something Annabeth had just told him. Annabeth laughed, playfully smacking his arm. "I'll be right back." Nico said. "Promise on the Styx and all that jazz."

"Oh my gods." Will threw his hands up. Nico ignored him, walking over to Percy and Annabeth. The pair were grinning like crazy, which made a nice change from Percy's recent sullenness.

"Hey," Percy greeted, looping an arm around Nico, "Annabeth just told me some good news. Sorry if I was a little loud."

"We're going to spend our senior year together." Annabeth explained. "Here, in New York. And after graduation-"

"College in New Rome!" Percy beamed. "That's four years with no monsters to fight, no battles, no stupid prophecies…" He trailed off, smile dimming slightly. He looked at Annabeth. "Just me and you, getting our degrees, hanging out at cafes, enjoying California…"

"Lou wouldn't want you to give up, Percy." Nico said. "She probably wouldn't get the college thing, but she would want you to carry on. Maybe be an art major, she'd like that."

"Um, no." But Percy was smiling again. "What are you going to do?"

"I'm staying here." Nico told him. Percy nodded, relaxing a little. Nico studied his face. The sea green eyes, his dark ruffled hair, the last few traces of a lopsided smile. Despite their visual similarities, Nico often forgot he and Louisa were twins, but looking at Percy's eyes now, Nico could only see Louisa's. Percy Jackson was a regular guy now, not someone to idolise or crush on.

Nico cleared his throat, wiggling out from under Percy's arm. "So, since we're going to be spending at least a year seeing each other at camp, I think I should clear the air."

"What do you mean?"

"For a long time," Nico said, looking back at Percy, "I had a crush on you. I just wanted you to know." Percy stared at him. Then at Annabeth, who nodded- _yes, you did hear that right, Seaweed Brain_.

"You-"

"Yeah. You're a great person, but I'm over that." Nico smiled at Annabeth. Her grey eyes sparkled knowingly. "I'm happy for you guys."

"Wait, so you mean-?"

"Yes, Percy. I'm gay." Nico studied Percy's face again. "You're cute, but you're not my type."

"Not your type…"

"See you around, Percy." Nico shook his head. Annabeth was laughing. She raised her hand for a high five and Nico obliged.

"Give him a minute to catch up, he'll be fine." She smiled. Nico nodded. Then he turned and walked back across the green, to where Will Solace was waiting.


	30. Chapter 30

**Apologies for not updating last night, people! I don't think I was a functioning person last night, let's leave it at that :P **

**To RandomFanAuthor- YES SHE IS YES SHE IS! And I'm not _totally_ evil? I'm insulted, INSULTED. And I bet that whoever made Mythomagic KNEW what the gods looked like and made them COMPLETELY different to- A, throw people off of knowing the gods were real or, B- they're a little SHIT and revel in pissing the gods off! And Nico essentially was- give Percy a break, Annabeth owns the braincell most of the time! And then two chapters- this one and the next one! **

**To JasonGraceIsNAPPING- SHE. IS. DEAD. YA'LL. **

**To HoO Fan- Cry. Send me the tears. And thank yoooou! ^_^ I was really worried about this series when I published it, but the feedback has been amazing! And he is NAPPING, N.A.P.P.I.N.G. I will WAKE HIM UP FOREVER!**

* * *

Piper wished she could charm herself to sleep. The last two nights, she had watched the hours pass, listening to her siblings snoring. The days were great, she loved being back with her cabin. Even Drew, her second-in-command, was happier to have her back. She liked having the extra time for gossip and in-cabin beauty treatments, rather than running things.

Piper kept herself busy with Reyna and Annabeth, helping organise the Greeks and the Romans. To Piper's amazement and delight, the other two girls relied on her skills as a go-between to smooth over any conflicts. There weren't many. So she had to return a few Roman helmets that mysteriously found themselves in the camp's shop or settling arm wrestling disputes or the best way to kill a hydra between the children of Ares and Mars, but it was a doddle compared to everything else she had done.

The morning the Romans were due to leave, Piper was sitting on the pier, placating the naiads. A small number of the lake spirits had decided there were some hot Romans they _had_ to get to know better. They had been trying to talk Piper into letting them travel in giant fish tanks to move to Camp Jupiter. Piper managed to talk them out of it, concluding negotiations when Reyna found her.

The praetor sat on the dock beside her.

"Hard work?"

"Naiads can be challenging," Piper puffed a lock of hair from her face, "but I think we've got a deal. If they still want to go at the end of summer, we'll work the details out then. But naiads _teeeend_ to forget things in about five seconds." Reyna ran her fingertips across the water.

"I wish I could forget things that quickly." She sighed. Piper examined her face. Reyna had seemingly not changed during the war, at least not on the outside. She still had the same strong, unstoppable glare, the same regal, beautiful face. She wore her armour and purple cloak as easily as most people wearing shorts and a T-shirt.

"You did so much." Piper said. "For both camps. Without you, none of it would have been possible."

"All of us played a part."

"Sure. But you… I just wish you got more credit." Piper hunched her shoulders. The naiads had swam away. Reyna laughed gently.

"Thank you, Piper, but I don't want attention. You understand, right?"

"Yes." Piper nodded, pressing her lips together. Reyna withdrew her hand from the water, wiping it dry on her trousers. "Your power, from your mom. You can lend your strength to others?"

"Nico told you?"

"No, I just sensed it. Watching you lead the legion. That must drain you. How do you… do you get that strength back?"

"When I do, I'll let you know." She said it like a joke, but Piper sensed the sadness behind her tone. She stared out at the water, jaw set, trying not to lose herself to her thoughts.

"You're always welcome here," Piper said gently, "if you need a break- you've got Frank now, he could manage things for a while. It might do you some good to make some time for yourself." She hesitated. "I… I talked to Lou, about you. I kind of figured she was bi, but… oh, stupid girl, she didn't even realise, she just _assumed_ that's what things were like. Honestly, so clueless." Reyna gave a soft laugh, her eyes glistening. "She said you were cool. Said you kicked ass." Piper smiled lopsidedly. "Said you had a nice ass." Reyna snorted, clamping a hand over her mouth. Amusement glimmered behind her tears. "I did ask her… if anything had or would happen between you two." Piper sighed, smiling out at the water. "She said you were very set on this praetor thing and the best she could get was sparring."

"Oh, I knew she was hiding something."

"She insisted she let you win."

"I'm sure she did."

"Sixty-forty in your favour."

"Oh my gods, she's such a liar."

"You kind of melted her brain with that kiss."

"Oh gods," Reyna closed her eyes, cheeks flooding scarlet, "she told you?"

"Like I said, she was clueless. She came to me, for many, _many_ things. It was sweet." Piper smiled wistfully. "I had to un-melt her brain, Reyna, but, honestly, it was really cute." She laughed as Reyna hid her face in her hands. "I loved our little chats. Such a warped sense of humour." Reyna wiped at her face, tucking her hands in her lap.

"You should have seen the pranks she set for Octavian."

"She'd be so disappointed she didn't do him in."

"Extremely." Reyna agreed, her smile dimming. "I… I wish I hadn't been… been so focused on this 'praetor thing'. When… when I kissed her, I thought… well, I didn't think that would be it, you know?" Piper nodded. "I can't believe she's gone." Her voice cracked. Piper lay a hand on her shoulder.

"You have been everyone's source of strength, Reyna. Don't forget that _you_ need to draw strength from others as well. I'm here for you. We're all here for you." Reyna sniffed, blinking and regaining her composure. Piper squeezed her shoulder.

"Thank you, Piper." Reyna offered her hand. "I have a feeling we'll see each other again."

"Count on it, you're not leaving me to deal with these idiots alone." They hugged and Reyna took her leave.

* * *

The camp felt empty without the Romans that night. Piper already missed Hazel. She missed the creaking timbers of the Argo II, the constellations her lamp used to make on her cabin's ceiling. She lay, restless, in her bunk in Cabin Ten, kicking the covers off and then pulling them back on. Her thoughts swirled, replaying her conversation with Louisa about Reyna, replaying her conversation with Reyna about Louisa, replaying what had happened against Gaia, trying to figure out how she had failed Leo so badly.

About two in the morning, she kicked the covers off one last time. She sat up and looked out the window. The moonlight turned the woods silver. The breeze drifted through, bringing the scent of the sea and the strawberry fields with it. How could it have only been a few days since the Earth Mother had awoken and nearly destroyed everything? Tonight was so peaceful, so… normal.

_Tap, tap, tap._

Piper nearly smacked her head on the top of her bunk. Jason was standing outside the window, grinning and tapping the glass. _Come on_, he mouthed, disappearing. Piper hurried to the door, sticking her head out. He stood on the steps, still smiling.

"What are you doing here?" She whispered. "It's after curfew, the harpies will _shred_ you."

"Just come on." He offered his hand. Piper shook her head, but she took it. He led her to Cabin One and took her inside. He had complained about the large statue of Hippie Zeus, but it was no better looking at night.

"Um, Jason? What exactly-?"

"Check it out." He showed her one of the marble columns. On the back, almost hidden against the wall, iron rungs led upwards. "A ladder." He grinned. "Can't believe I didn't see it sooner. Go up, you've got to see this." Piper hesitated, so he climbed first. She followed him. At the top, he pushed open a small trapdoor, climbing up. He turned, offering his hand again and helping her up.

They were on the side of the domed roof, on a flat edge, facing north. The whole of Long Island Sound covered the horizon. They were so far up and so well hidden, that no one below would see them. Not even the harpies flew this high. "Look." Jason pointed at the stars, a tirade of diamonds better than anything Hazel could summon. He sat. Piper did too, snuggling up against him and smiling when he put his arm around her.

"It's amazing," she said, "but aren't you going to get in trouble?"

"Who cares?"

"OK, who are you and what have you done with Jason?" She laughed. He smiled, turning to kiss her. They had kissed before, but this was different. Warmth spread red-hot through her, tingling her fingertips and toes.

He pulled away just enough to look in her eyes, resting his forehead on hers.

"That night, at the Wilderness School. Our first kiss under the stars…"

"A memory. The one that never happened."

"Well, now it's real." He made the ward-against-evil gesture and pushed at the sky. "From this point on, we're writing our own story, with a fresh start. And we just had our first kiss."

"I'm afraid to tell you this after just one kiss, but I love you."

"Love you too, Pipes." He kissed her nose. Tears prickled her eyes.

"Sorry." She sniffed.

"Hey," he gently tucked her hair behind her ear, "Leo is OK."

"How can you be so sure? He didn't get the cure. Nico said he died."

"You once woke up an automaton dragon with your _voice_." Jason said. "You _believed_ the dragon should be alive, right?" Piper nodded. "We have to believe in Leo too. There is no way he would die so easily, he's a tough guy."

"Right. So, we believe. Leo _has_ to be alive." Piper's eyes fell on the ocean, shimmering under the stars. Jason squeezed her shoulders. "I wish we could believe for Lou as well."

"Me too." He agreed, brow knitting. "Hey," his voice softened upon seeing her bottom lip tremble, "remember when Leo flattened Ma Gasket with a car engine?"

"Or those dwarfs in Bologna. Leo took them down with a homemade smoke grenade made from toothpaste."

"I think Lou was relieved she passed out then- she didn't have to see that naked statue of her dad."

"I think Otis broke her brain."

"She definitely broke Leo's brain."

"Aw, it was sweet." Jason smiled. They swapped stories about Leo Valdez, about Louisa Smith-Jackson, about them both, laughing and crying. They stayed on the roof until dawn broke. Piper started to believe they _could_ have a fresh start. Louisa had known the stakes from the start, she would not want them wallowing for her- not for any longer than necessary, anyway, this _was_ Louisa they were talking about. But it might have been possible that they would tell a new story, one of Leo Valdez, still out there. Somewhere…


	31. Chapter 31

**To RandomFanAuthor- I know, I know, it was an atrocity! Forgive me! :P And I personally lean towards Reyna being gay than bi, but that's just a personal headcanon! I didn't really ship Jeyna, like I could see why people did, but it wasn't a favourite for me! Reyouisa one-shots are in the works! I also like Piper and Reyna being best buds, it's such a fun dynamic! AND LOU IS NOT ALIVE AND SHE'S NOT ANYWHERE BUT THE UNDERWORLD! **

**To JasonGraceIsNAPPING- Lou won't be back, why are you people so insistent on this? ^_^ And I put NAPPING, I changed your name, remember? Jason isn't DEAD, he's NAPPING. HE. IS. NAPPING. Because I said so. Aaaaand because I'm gonna fix it! I don't know if that means what you think it means, I don't know what you think it means! :D **

**To HoO Fan- OF COURSE SOLANGELO IS HAPPENING! My precious baby boys, they WILL happen, hehe! Jason and Nico bro-ing (?) is great, I love it. Nico needs more siblings. I WILL WAKE JASON UP, I PROMISE. EXPECT SOME OUTLANDISH, COMPLETELY AGAINST CANON AND LOGIC MISHAPS TO WAKE HIM UP! **

**To all, thank you all for reading and reviewing! It's been great doing this, the feedback was so much better than I was expecting! This is the last chapter of the HoO rewrite series, BUT the ToA rewrite is in the works (except a tad shorter because I don't need to rewrite great portions of it). In the meantime, one-shots will be posted in a compilation and I accept requests for pairings and scenarios (unless it's just _wrong_)! I am also considering a Magnus Chase rewrite, would that be any good?**

* * *

Leo was dead. He knew that. So _why _did it _hurt_ so much? Every cell in his body was screaming, they all felt like they had exploded. Now his consciousness was trapped, stuck in a charred and crispy husk of demigod. His stomach broiled with nausea worse than Hazel's seasickness. He couldn't move, he couldn't see or hear. The only sensation was pain.

Panic flitted through him- was this his eternal punishment?

Then somebody stuck jumper cables to his brain and he gasped, sitting bolt upright. The wind crashed into his face, cooling and sea-scented. A searing pain in his right arm made him look down. He was still on Festus's back, still in the air. His eyes came into focus and he noticed the large hypodermic needle retracting from his forearm. The empty injector whirred and folded away into a panel in Festus's neck.

"Thanks, buddy." Leo groaned. "Man, that sucked." Festus clicked at him in Morse Code. "No, no. I'm glad to be alive, I just _hurt_." Festus buzzed. Leo smiled. "Yeah, I love you too. You were awesome, buddy." A metallic purr ran the length of the dragon's body and Leo laughed.

He took a deep breath, filling his lungs as if he had never done so before. His brain was starting to tick back into relative order now. "Right," he said, "how we doing, buddy?" He checked the dragon for any damage. Festus's wings were working properly, though his left medius membrane was shot full of holes. His neck plating had partially fused together, having melted in the explosion. Leo smiled- Festus was in no danger of crashing anytime soon.

Leo tried to recall what had happened. He was pretty sure Gaia had been defeated, but he had no idea how his friends were doing. Hopefully Jason and Piper had been clear of the blast zone. He closed his eyes as an image flashed into his brain, a projectile of some sort racing towards him, someone- maybe him- screaming.

He rubbed at his face, rolled the stiffness from his shoulders. "OK, Festus, when we land, you're getting a proper check-up." He patted the dragon's neck. Festus clicked at him. "Yes, I think you've earned it. _Lots_ of motor oil and Tabasco sauce for _my_ dragon." Festus buzzed happily, bouncing with joy. "Oh, no, don't do that." Leo groaned, putting a hand to his mouth as bile seared his throat. "No, no, I'm good." He looked down, past Festus's right wing. They flew over a solid bank of white clouds. The sun shone directly overhead in a beautiful blue sky. It was about noon, but… of which day? How long had Leo been dead?

He popped open the access panel in Festus's neck. The astrolabe was humming, the crystal pulsing with light like it had its own heartbeat. Leo checked his compass, his GPS, a stupid grin crossing his face. "Festus, good news! Our navigations readings are _completely_ fucked up!" Festus creaked in confusion. "Yep! Get us below these clouds and maybe-" Festus dived sharply, so quickly the air was sucked from Leo's lungs.

They broke through the endless white and there, below them, was a single green island in a vast blue sea. Leo whooped so loudly, they could have heard him in China. "AWW YEAH! WHO DIED? WHO CAME BACK? WHO'S YOUR FREAKIN' SUPERSIZED McSHIZZLE NOW, BABY? _WOOOOOHOOOOO_!"

They cork-screwed down to Ogygia. The warm wind ruffled Leo's hair. His clothes were in tatters, his arms were covered in a fine layer of soot, he looked and smelled like he had just died in an inferno- which, of course, he had.

But that didn't matter.

She stood on the beach, in jeans and a white blouse, her amber hair braided over one shoulder. Festus spread his wings and landed with a stumble. One of his legs, apparently, was broken, and this pitched Leo face-first into the sand.

He didn't care. He spat out seaweed. Festus dragged himself down the beach, clacking _Ow, ow, ow_. Calypso stood with her hands on her hips, eyebrows arched.

"You're late." She accused, eyes gleaming.

"Sorry, sunshine, traffic was murder!"

"You're _covered_ with soot," she noted, "and you somehow managed to ruin the clothes I made for you. They were _supposed_ to be impossible to ruin."

"Yeah, well…" Leo hunched his shoulders. "I'm all about doing the impossible." She shook her head, holding her hand out and yanking him to his feet. They stood nose-to-nose, her eyes taking in his condition. The scent of cinnamon filled his nose.

"You smell."

"I know. Kind of died in a blazing ball of fire, but _oath to keep with a final breath_ and all that. I'm better n-" She cut him off with a kiss. Leo had to make the conscious effort not to burst into _more_ flames. When she finally let him go, soot smudges covered her face, but she hardly noticed. Her thumb traced his cheekbone.

"Leo Valdez." She smiled. Nothing else, just his name.

"That's me." He said, voice ragged. "Sooooo, want to get off this island?" Calypso took a step back, waving her hand. Invisible servants dropped two suitcases and a brown satchel at her feet. Scrolls spilled from the brown satchel and Calypso sighed, nudging the mess with her foot.

"What gave you that idea?"

"Packed for a long trip, mm?" Leo grinned.

"I don't plan on coming back." She glanced over her shoulder. "Where did your dragon go?" Leo looked up, smiling fading. He saw Festus's footprints and the gouges in the sand where he was dragging his leg, but the dragon was nowhere in sight.

"He's probably trying to find somewhere to get fixed. Come on, let's-" Festus roared. Screams filled the air. Calypso's smile faded.

"Oh no." She dropped Leo's hand and sprinted off, following the dragon's trail. Leo raced after her.

Festus had found Leo's make-shift workshop. He was curled up, like a cat waiting to pounce, tail swishing in the sand and watching something between his front claws. This something was screaming, metallic thuds as it hit the dragon's claws. "Dragon!" Calypso chided. Festus looked up, snorting and blowing steam. Calypso reached his side, smacking a hand on his shoulder. Leo stumbled to a halt beside her, doubling over with his hands on his knees. Running after recent resurrection was _not_ fun.

"Hey," he gasped, "what's… going on? Ow, stitch, stitch."

"Tell your dragon to let her go!"

"Let who go?" He puzzled, looking up. Calypso was now pulling on Festus's claws, as if that would work. "Festus, ease up, buddy." Festus whirred, looking at Leo and tipping his head to one side. Oil spilled from between his plates and Leo sighed. "Come on, Festus, let go of… whoever-?" The dragon clicked and lifted a claw. Calypso ducked, grabbing Festus's prey by the arms and pulling them free.

Leo could have done with another physician's cure. His lungs seemed to shrivel, his heart seemed to stop with a final _boom_. Sand in her hair and on her clothes, kicking at Festus and clinging to Calypso's hands with wild panic… Leo couldn't breathe, his voice rasping. "_Lou_?"

* * *

_**Pssst! **_

_**I lied. **_


	32. REVIEW REPLIES NOT A CHAPTER

**In response to the last of the reviews on this!**

**To RandomFanAuthor- Yes, yes, yes, I lied all along! Ain't I a stinker? ^_^ And I'm saying nothing about the ToA rewrite. Nope. Haha, enjoy! ^_^**

**To JasonGraceIsNAPPING- Jason is not DEAD, he is simply having a NAP. He is not DEAD. Nope, no way! I will not accept that he is DEAD! So you are now JasonGraceIsNAPPING. You're welcome! **

**To Guest- You just put foreshadowing, what- pray tell- do you think? :D**

**To HoO Fan (Chapter 30)- I'm sorry for not updating that one night, I was... not a functional or recognisable person (yes, I'm a werewolf) buuuut I don't know if Reyna has been confirmed bi in canon, not sure where that lies. But in my rewrite, she is super gay. I always thought she was gay and the exaggeration in canon on her feelings for Jason were her being stuck in a hetreonormative view? (I don't know how to spell that word, so yay, I tried!) Just a personal headcanon for her, but I guess it's open to interpretation? And yes, there is one more chapter, I'm hoping you read it soon! I got called a 'glorious bastard' for it, and that honestly made my day! (Thank you JohnDouglas4274!) And on Chapter 31- YA'LL KNOW I LIKE BEING MEAN, YOU SHOULD HAVE BEEN PREPARED! AND NO LOVE TRIANGLES! THAT WAS MY PLAN AT THE BEGINNING. TOO MANY LOVE TRIANGLES THESE DAYS! And I have about three or four different ways to make sure Jason WAKES UP, I'm considering writing them all and just seeing which one you all think fits with the story, buuuut Tyrant's Tomb is out tomorrow, I AM NOT READY. The ToA rewrite will not be out for a while, I want to fine tune everything before I post it, just like I did with these rewrites. Hopefully won't be long! In the meantime, I have begun the one-shots! Have two now, as of writing this, so if ya'll wanna hop on over to 'Love is Boundless', that'd be great! Magnus Chase is next on my list to play with! **


End file.
